Snapshots
by Blisterdude
Summary: The twins are set to graduate high school. The future is ahead, but one of them is more concerned with their past. A story spanning a week and a lifetime showing the moments that defined the people they became. Pinecest...yup.
1. Cheer Up

A/N: So I'm given to understand the GF fandom is quite volatile about this. Given that, I've chosen to be diplomatic about this. Ordinarily, I feel no compunction whatever to defend my actions and choices to those I haven't met, but there we go.

I don't support incest, I don't practice it, I don't like it, its an unhealthy and risky practice.

In the real world. This isn't the real world. It's fiction. It's made up. These aren't real people. So yes, this does contain ''Pinecest". But even then, there are limits to it. I'm not going to be writing romantic stuff about kids, fiction or not I draw the line there. Anything overtly mature will be kept with legal-aged versions of the characters. 16 or above. On top of this, I've rated it M. If you think its too much for you, stick to your age bracket.

If you *still* can't deal with made up people doing made up things, by all means, read no further than this note.

Now that all that moaning is out of the way, hopefully it won't have to be done again. Anybody still reading, enjoy.

...

Dipper tried to focus on his book again. There were several forces at work in thwarting his goal however. One, his TV was on, blaring an episode of Firefly; two, he had one eye on the door of his room half the time and three, Mabel.

He tried to adjust his legs again, this time without-

"Stop fidgeting, will you?"

"You're giving me a dead leg."

She shifted a bit on his lap, leaning back into him. He nestled his chin on top of her head again, trying to pick up where he left off.

"I think we're getting a bit big for this." He murmured into her hair, he felt her shiver.

"Big?" He felt her stiffen. "Are you saying I'm getting fat?"

"I…wait…what? No!" He blustered as she turned her head to glare at him.

She narrowed her eyes, poking him several times in the chest as if she was going to make a threat, before giving up and leaning back against him, mollified.

Dipper sighed, giving up on ever getting back into his book. He set it aside, settling for wrapping his arms around his twin instead.

He missed when they could just…be like this, as kids. Everything was so much easier back then. Even the weird stuff, back in Gravity Falls. Sure it was hard at the time, but he'd have given anything to go back and do it again now.

"Are you brooding again, Dip?"

"No."

"You're brooding again."

"Not."

"I can feel you brooding again, Dippingsauce." She turned from his TV to face him again, smiling softly as she fell back on her old nickname for him. He managed a smile back.

"Am not." He objected, jokingly now.

He fumbled to find her hands, fiddling with the frayed cuffs of the brightly coloured long sweater she was currently wearing.

Some things never changed.

She squeezed his hands softly, letting out a comforted sigh as she snuggled back further into him.

"So, what is up then? Is it graduation?"

He didn't reply, but for all that he might as well have written his thoughts on paper in fluorescent ink, handed it to a pilot and paid for it to be written in the sky for all the world to see.

Mabel could read him like that.

"Guess so."

"And what comes after?"

"Guess so."

"Scares me too, bro." She murmured, after a pause.

Dipper let go of her hands, moving them to grip her shoulders. He leaned forward, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Don't say that, nothing scares you Mabes."

"We both know that's not true." She replied, softly, placing one of her hands over his.

He leaned back, letting out a small groan.

"Sorry I brought it up now."

Mabel let go of his hand and turned so she was sat sideways on his lap, looking him square in the face.

"We'll be cool." She flashed a smile. It was one of her huge, infectious ones and soon he found himself smiling back despite himself.

They glanced at the TV just in time to see Mal boot Niska's henchman into Serenity's engine.

"Why the fuck did this get cancelled." Dipper muttered. Mabel giggled in response.

He barely flinched at the sound of a glass smashing downstairs. Mabel glanced at the door so briefly he almost didn't notice.

"Well, mom's already well on her way."

"Mmm-hmm." He felt her nod, suddenly quiet.

He winced. Dipper was long used to their mother's habits. Her failings, her problems, her general lack of motherly…qualities, anything. It had always been a sore spot for his sister though. He still found it odd how their roles reversed once they weren't at home. As soon as they were out the door she was back to normal. Noisy, boisterous, energetic, excitable…all smiles and jokes.

Not now though.

He rubbed her shoulders gently, in a vague attempt at comfort.

"I'm-"

The sound of a cupboard slamming shut followed by another glass shattering echoed up the stairs.

"…-fine." She finished.

He raised a hand to her cheek and turned her face to his, slowly. Her eyes flickered sadly, the only clue as to the hurt she was probably feeling inside.

Six years ago, everything was so easy, so simple, so uncomplicated.

They pressed their lips together in a tender kiss.

Or at least, it had seemed that way at the time.

They broke the kiss, sitting together in an easy silence while Firefly played on in the background.

Mabel started humming after a little while. He listened, trying to pick up the tune only to let out an involuntary snort when he did.

"_Let Her Go_? Are you trying to tell me something?"

"_Only know you've been high when you're feeling low  
Only hate the road when you're missin' home  
Only know you love her when you let her go._" Dipper smiled as she sang, softly.

"Alright then, that's enough of that." He lifted his sister from his lap, ignoring her squeak of protest then got to his feet, trying to ignore the pins and needles in his legs. "Let's do something fun."

"Like?" She crossed her arms, mock frowning at being manhandled.

He shrugged, looking about his room. His eyes fell on a plastic mock guitar adorned with a series of colourful buttons.

"Guitar Hero?"

…

_Fifteen minutes later_

"I'm gonna kick your ass, Dipweed. Why'd you ever get this game again?"

He glanced at his sister, glad to see she was back to her old self. She was never happier than when she was literally or figuratively beating him into the dirt at something.

"Beats me, sis." He grinned, playing along. "Besides, you can actually play guitar. Unfair home advantage." He winced as he missed about seven notes.

"Nothing doing, Dipster. You just have the hand-eye-coordination of a dead goat." She laughed as she hit yet another Star Power bonus. "_Until we dance into the fire, that fatal kiss is all we neee-eeed_!"

"_Dance into the fire, to fatal sounds of broken dreams_!" He sang back, followed by another series of jarring squeaks and scrapes as he missed notes. Mabel laughed again.

"_Would you two quiet the hell down up there!_" Their mom's voice screeched from downstairs.

They glanced at the door, then at each other. When he noticed Mabel was still playing and hadn't missed a note, he tried and failed to stifle the grin on his lips. His sister grinned back.

"_Dance into the fiiii-iiiire_…"  
"_Dance into the fiiii-iiiire_…" They sang, together.


	2. Welcome To Gravity Falls

A/N: No lengthy tirades this time, enjoy!

...

"Dip."

The voice cut through the haze of sleep like a knife through butter.

"Dip."

Maybe if he rolled over it would go away.

"Dip."

Nope. Maybe if he buried his face under the pillow it might give up.

"Dip."

Maybe if he just-

"Dip."

Hands pressed down on the pillow, basically smothering him. He let out a garbled cry of confusion, casting the thing aside and looked around frantically.

He was still in the family car, alive by all accounts. Mom and dad looked back at him, eyebrows raised, before turning back to the road and Mabel…Mabel was holding the pillow, smiling innocently.

He forced a smile back, ignoring the fact she'd tried to kill him in an attempt to wake him up.

"Nearly there, you two."

Dipper glanced out the window, adjusting his hat against the glare of the morning sun as it filtered through the trees. They'd been driving for hours but-

"Frickin' finally!" Mabel drawled.

"Young lady." Their mom warned, sternly.

As she crossed her arms in a huff, he noticed what she'd seen. They were coming up on a large old wooden sign by the road, reading,

Gravity Falls.

The road split, ahead. To the right was and the town aaaaaand…they went left. Into more trees.

"Town's that way." He ventured, already getting a bad feeling about all this.

Their parents had decided two weeks ago that rather than spend another summer together as a family they were going to dump he and Mabel with their great-uncle Stan…their "Grunkle", at his home in Gravity Falls, aaaaaall the way in Oregon. All summer.

Dipper wasn't even sure who the hell Stan was actually related to in his family, nobody seemed eager to elaborate.

"Your Grunkle Stan has a home in the woods, dear." His mom answered, sounding tired.

"…out here?!" Mabel blurted. They shared a look.

That seemed to be all they were going to get. Dipper supposed their parents couldn't wait to drop them off so they could go back to arguing or whatever it was they wanted them out of the way for this time.

They eventually came out into a small clearing, in the middle of which was a ramshackle looking…shack straight out of a movie he'd seen once. It didn't look like it should even be standing. A sign was plastered across the top, reading _The Mystery Shack._

"Everybody's gotta have a hobby I guess." He heard his dad mutter under his breath.

They pulled up outside. As Dipper and Mabel climbed out, with their own rucksacks, he noticed their parents were already hard at work getting out the rest of their luggage and lumping it together in a pile by them.

_Don't hurry or anything _he thought, bitterly.

"Bye kids." Mom waved as she returned to the car, dad already at the wheel. She even managed a smile.

_So that was that_, he mused, as he waved back lazily. He turned to look at Mabel, wondering what she thought of it, but she was already busy looking around excitedly.

Unlike himself, Mabel had been excited at the prospect of getting away from home on their own for a month or two. He could see she was already all but shaking with energy waiting to be released, like a well-shaken can of soda.

They turned sharply as the door to the shack slammed open behind them.

"Hey kids!" A large, crooked looking man in a fez waved a hand in greeting as he came over. He swung a cane as he did so. It had an eight-ball on it. His suit looked like it didn't fit quite right and his face was all but covered in stubble and he had old, thick rimmed glasses and….

"_He's wearing an eyepatch_." Mabel whispered conspiratorially, leaning over to him.

"He's wearing it over his glasses, Mabel." He noted, as the man got closer. "It's not real."

The look of crushing disappointment on her face made him want to laugh.

"I'm your Grunkle Stan." He held out both hands, shaking theirs energetically, eliciting a series of snorts from Mabel. "Let's get your stuff upstairs and get you settled." He stopped to pick up their luggage, carrying it all at once.

He was stronger than he looked, Dipper noted, suspiciously.

"You live here?" Mabel asked, grinning.

"Sure do. This is the Mystery Shack. I'll give you the tour later. For now," He gestured vaguely. ", welcome to Gravity Falls!"

…

Dipper forced an eye open, letting out a yawn. He looked around warily, as soon as he realised-

_Yep, _he thought. Mabel was curled up under his arm, head resting in the crook of his shoulder. They were curled up together on the floor of his room, wrapped in his bedcovers. Apparently at some point in the ungodly hours of the morning they'd decided that the floor was the place to be, having settled back against the side of his bed. And together at that.

He glanced at the door, cautiously. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off the woman who let them live in her house. What was her name again…? Oh yeah, mom.

Mabel sighed quietly, but didn't wake up. He played with her hair a little, running a finger through the cascade of chestnut tresses currently splayed all over the place. He noted she'd discarded her sweater during the night, the lime-green coloured horror was over there by the door with her…skirt and…his jeans.

He glanced beneath the covers, brain suddenly afire with infinite heart-attack inducing visions. _They weren't drunk, they weren't that tired either, surely he'd fucking remember if- _he thought frantically, ignoring the heat flushing on his cheeks.

He let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the bed. They were both still wearing their underwear, maybe he should calm down a little, maybe he should take his mind off things that hadn't happened yet, _what time was it anyway?_

"You thought we had sex." Mabel murmured into his chest, making him jump.

"N-no…" He laughed, nervously. "What made you think-"

"Oh, so you're just a pervert then. That makes me feel better." She grinned up at him, shaking her head slowly.

"…ah…" He objected, lamely,

"Dipweed." She raised a hand and began poking him in the forehead, slowly. "We agreed, remember? Both of us?"

"I remember."

"Then have a little faith, huh?" She shoved her fist into his cheek, playfully.

"I know, I know." He shrugged. "Sometimes I just…don't entirely trust myself."

"Why not, I do." She replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And I love you for it." He nuzzled the top of her head, feeling her shiver a little in response.

They remained like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the quiet. Gradually, light began to filter through the blinds on his window. It reminded him of their first night in Gravity Falls, six years ago. He'd dreamt about the day they'd first arrived last night, it was all that thinking about the future, bringing him back to the past.

"What's up?" His sister asked, rubbing a hand over his chest.

"Just thinking about Gravity Falls. The first day."

"You too?"

He looked down at her, curiously.

"Yeah, I was thinking about it last night." She continued, sensing the question.

He nodded, understanding.

"Fancy some breakfast? I know there's a little bacon left, and…

She flashed a smile in response, already on her feet and struggling to get her skirt back on with one hand while she flung the door open with the other before he even had the covers off.

"Dibs, Dips." She poked her head back into the room, sticking out her tongue, before scurrying downstairs giggling to herself.

"I never was the morning one." He groaned, getting dressed and heading after her.


	3. Permission

A/N: Soooo, are people liking this? Not liking this? Worse than Twilight? Better than the Yellow Pages?

...

"Think I need a shave again." Dipper rubbed the scraggy goatee growing around his chin.

"Dude, when did you become so vain?"

"It's a recent development." He smirked.

He leaned back against the tree, adjusting his black army cap as he did. He and his…"cronies", as Mabel referred to them, were hanging around.

They had a free period, and as usual, spent it "chillin'" on the school field. That and it was a beautiful day, or maybe it was only Dipper who thought like that. The three of them were just watching all the other groups of students milling about, doing the same as them. The end was upon them, they could all feel it. It was just a matter of waiting out the remnant of the term, graduate, then never look back.

"Speaking of "recent developments", Dipper," One of his friends, Nick, piped up. "I still can't believe that's Mabel over there. I mean, when I left four years ago, she was this goofy little thing with braces obsessed with crazy sweaters."

Nick was one of his older friends, from back when he didn't have many friends to speak of. He'd been pretty cut up when Nick had moved away during 8th grade, so naturally he'd been thrilled to have him move back before they all split up.

He was a lot like himself, in a lot of ways. Not fussed about fashion, a soft spot for chequered shirts and jeans and a messy crop of blonde hair buried under a beanie.

"She still is." He replied, casually, glancing in the direction Nick had been looking.

Mabel was sat cross-legged with the rest of her band, fiddling with the tuners on her electric Les Paul. She wasn't wearing a sweater today though, even his crazy sister had caved in the face of the heat today, settling instead on a long-sleeved blue and black striped top and jean shorts, coupled with solid purple tights. She had her long hair pulled back into a ponytail while her fringe was kept in place by a bright yellow hairband spotted with little flowers. You could clearly see the scrunched up expression of intense concentration on her face.

It was the same one she got whenever she was involved in anything, Dipper thought it was adorable.

It must have been obvious they were staring because she looked up from her guitar in their direction, after a time, right at him. Their eyes locked. He managed a weak smile, apologetically, he hoped.

Her lips curled in a small smile, he felt his cheeks go warm.

"She's hot."

He turned sharply, before he could stop himself. David, or Dave as he insisted, was a full on, long haired, dwarf-bearded, no-holds-barred metal-head. He wore the band-logo shirts, the heavy boots, the ripped jeans and the studded belts. The works.

"Come on, man." He managed, jokingly. "Not cool."

"Just sayin'" Dave raised his hands, defensively. "She could strum my axe anytime."

"That barely even makes sense!" Dipper groaned, while Nick and Dave laughed.

"Hey, is she going with anyone to the dance?" Nick asked, once they'd settled into silence again. "It's the last one and I was thinking, why not? Might be fun."

"Don't really know." He answered honestly, shooting a glance back toward his sister. She was busy with the band again. "I know she and the band are doing a set for the prom." He shrugged.

"_Pine-ing _are playing at the prom?" Dave asked.

The look on Dippers face at mention of the band's name made them snigger.

"You hate it, don't you." Nick grinned.

"No, it's not…well, maybe-…yeah." He gestured vaguely. "I mean, it was just a joke at first. That thing Mabel does when she really gets into it…"

It had been a fact for all their lives. Mabel didn't do things by halves. Enthusiastic didn't even begin to cover it, once she was doing something she loved. She got _involved. _The world was just a distraction. When she was playing, and she was good, she'd get to a point she loved in a song and just kind of switch off. She'd shut her eyes, sway and move with the music It was like she wasn't even aware of what was going on around her.. Her friends had called it _Pine-ing _and for some reason it caught on. They'd even named the band after her in the end.

"So anyway, she seeing anyone?"

"Seeing anyone?" He blurted. "A minute ago you only wanted to take her to the dance."

"We've come a long way since two minutes ago." He shrugged, grinning.

"You might be shit out of luck. She hit her boy craze when we were like, twelve. Nowadays her heart belongs to Lindsey Buckingham. And Andrew Latimer. And she's still in mourning for Stevie Ray Vaughan." He stroked his chin, mock thoughtfully. "Basically, unless you're a middle-aged rock legend…you're not really her type. You could ask about the dance though?"

Dave bawled with laughter, drawing the looks of some of their fellow students, including Mabel and her friends. When she realised they'd been looking her way again, she said something to a girl beside her and got to her feet.

"Oh shit she's coming over." Nick hissed.

Dave was trying his hardest to stifle another bout of laughter, while Dipper just sat back against the tree, giving her a wave as she got closer.

"Hey sis."

"Hey, Dip, Nick, Dave." She greeted each of them, taking a seat. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." Nick tried to wave it off, Dave was having none of it though.

"Nicky here wants to ask you to the dance."

"Really?" She smiled warmly. Her eyes flitted to his briefly, it was barely noticeable to anybody else. He supposed she was almost asking permission, which made him feel guilty, he wasn't about to stop her having a good time. Dipper flashed a grin.

"I mean, I hear you're gonna be with the band for some of the night, but-"

"Sure, love to."

Nick seemed momentarily taken aback. Truth be told, so was Dipper. Nick was clearly interested in his sister and he'd totally missed it. Inwardly, he wasn't sure how he felt about this, then he instantly felt guiltier for thinking that.

"Great!" Nick exclaimed. "I mean uhhh, good. Cool, cool." He continued, trying to downplay it while behind him, Dave was quickly losing his composure.

"Well, I've gotta go, but we'll meet up and sort something out." She smiled, getting to her feet. "I'll see you next period, bro." She flashed a "peace sign" with her fingers as she left.

"Later, sis." He did the same, with a smile.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Nick started railing at Dave for being a dick, while Dave argued that it was him who had gotten him the date. He watched them with a grin, despite the slight conflict he felt.

"Chill out dude." He put an arm on Nicks shoulder. "We can double up, right? I agreed to go with Jenny the other day."

_I did,_ he suddenly thought, _and I didn't even think about what Mabel thought about it._

"There, see?" Dave ruffled Nicks hair, much to the latter's frustration.

_So why shouldn't she be able to do the same? _He mused, feeling guilty again._ That's fair, right?_

"You're not even into her, Dipper."

"So?" He shrugged. "Neither of us is looking for a relationship, and we're friends. She's asked me a few times so I just said yes."

"You got no love in your soul, man." Nick wagged a finger at him, with a mock solemn tone.

He laughed, but as he glanced back at Mabel's receding form, he couldn't help but think that would have made things a whole lot simpler.


	4. Support

A/N: As much as I dislike fishing, I would really luuuurve a bit of feedback or something. Peace.

...

"Love, huh." Dipper rolled his eyes, while Mabel gushed on again about her ailing quest for an "epic summer romance".

It was a quiet day in the Mystery Shack. Grunkle Stan was off doing his own thing as usual, Wendy was taking a delivery and all he and Mabel had done so far today was get on each other's nerves.

They'd been in Gravity Falls for a few weeks. So far she'd accosted every boy who'd entered the Mystery Shack, and who knows how many others. Other particularly standout prospective boyfriends had been a gang of gnomes disguised as a kid called Norman, and that so-called psychic pretentious little pr-…_dork…_Dipper mentally corrected himself, Gideon.

Thinking about it, Dipper preferred the gnomes that had tried to kidnap his sister.

"Hey!" Mabel whined, whacking him over the head with one of her drippy pre-teen vampire romance novels.

"W-…what!?" He managed, staggering sideways, momentarily stunned.

"Stop ignoring me, Dipper!" She half-wailed.

"Don't ignore Mabel, Dipper." Wendy called, carrying boxes into the store.

"I wasn-" He objected.

"The success of my entire epic summer romance is in jeopardy!" She yelled at the ceiling, throwing her arms in the air.

"The success of your sister's entire epic summer romance is in jeopardy, Dipper." Wendy agreed, heading back outside.

"I know th-"

"You're my brother, you should be supporting me in this trying time!" She grabbed him by the collar, pulling them so close together their noses touched.

"You're her brother, you should be supporting Mabel in this trying time, Dipper." Wendy noted, on her way through with more boxes.

"Wrrgghuuhh?" Dipper managed, torn between being horrified of his sister and what had become a habitual shyness around Wendy. With some effort, he managed to extricate himself from Mabel's death-grip.

While he straightened out his shirt Mabel put a hand to her chin thoughtfully.

"How about a deal, Dip?"

"What kind of deal?" He regarded her warily.

"Help me get a date and I'll help you get Wendy's attention."

"Shh!" He insisted, glancing around the store, but Wendy must have gone back outside again. "How are you going to do that?" He continued, when he was sure it was safe.

She rolled her eyes in the way only a twelve-year old could.

"I'm a girl, duh." She gestured to herself, as if it explained everything.

"You are?" He scoffed, ducking as she swiped at him with her book. "Alright, alright, it's a deal." He held out a hand.

She made a show of giving it some thought, then spat in her hand and made a grab for his. He recoiled, appalled, as Mabel pressed after him, laughing gleefully at his discomfort.

Neither noticed Wendy watching from the doorway, smiling, as the two chased each other around the store.

…

Mabel yawned as she made her way carefully downstairs. More dreams about the past. More memories.

She wasn't sure what time it was, but it was dark as hell so she assumed everybody else was asleep, and she was in no hurry to wake anybody up just because she couldn't sleep.

She regretted not bothering to get dressed beyond the oversized t-shirt and underwear she wore to sleep as soon as she got to the cold, wooden floor of the hallway, but she wasn't going to go back now.

Mabel cringed as she opened and closed the old creaky door to the living room, shutting it carefully behind her. With any luck, she hadn't-

"Couldn't sleep, hm?"

She jumped turning sharply, stifling the "oh" that nearly slipped out.

"Hi mom." She greeted the older woman, voice devoid of feeling. She could already feel the bile rising in her throat, coming down here was a mistake.

The woman, her mother, lounged back on the sofa with a drink in her hand. The TV was off, she hadn't even switched any lights on. The tension between them was so thick, Mabel began to even _feel_ out of breath. The silence stretched, with her standing there awkwardly. She had no intention of staying down here with mom, but she didn't want to give the woman the satisfaction of seeing her skulk off either.

"So how's school, dear?"

Mabel winced. The words were there, but no mother could have said them with such…she didn't even think it was scorn, she didn't care enough for that.

"It's gotta be about two in the morning mom, why don't you go to bed." She hated herself for the hint of pleading that slipped into her tone.

"As bad as all that?" Her mom turned her gaze toward her for a moment, before looking back toward the blank TV.

"No."

"You've never done anything but hold him back. I don't why your brother ever wasted time with you."

"I don't suppose you do. You never wasted time with either of us." Mabel replied. "Sometimes I don't know why he does either." She muttered, softly.

"I'd ask you to stay away from him if I thought there was any point."

"I graduate in a few weeks. I'm…_we're,_" She corrected herself, unable to resist the barb. ", looking at colleges, soon."

"Hm." Her mom chuckled to herself. "At least I know my son won't chuck his life away."

Mabel wished it didn't sting anymore, but it did. She clutched her arms to her chest, it wasn't the cold.

"Were you always like this?" She asked in a murmur, half to herself.

Her mom actually looked up at her for a moment.

"No." The woman looked away again, taking a sip. Her brow creased into a frown, as if deep in thought. "Go away."

Mabel turned slowly back to the door, slipping out as casually as she could. She'd be damned if she'd let the woman see she could still hurt her. Padding up the stairs, she felt her eyes begin to sting and her vision swim as the tears welled in her eyes. She wished she'd just stayed in her room, she only hoped she could just shut herself away till morning and pretend the whole thing-

"Hey." The first and last voice she wanted to hear cut through the grainy dark as she reached the top of the stairs.

She looked up through bleary eyes, seeing her brother leaning against the doorframe of his room. Mabel rubbed her eyes furiously, not wanting him to see but knowing it was too late anyway. He made no move toward her, knowing she'd want a minute to pull herself together.

"Hey." She choked out, berating herself. "I was just…uh…downstairs, getting…um." She gave up.

The look on his face told her all she needed to know.

"I want to go to bed." She tried to hurry past him, unsurprised when a hand latched onto her wrist, not painfully, but enough to stop her.

She let his fingers mesh with hers, as he guided her gently so she was facing him.

She was a mess. Her eyes and cheeks stained with tears, her hair hung loose over her shoulders and face. Her bare legs were shaking and her arms were covered in goosebumps. Mabel looked up at him, not remembering exactly when he'd gotten taller than her.

Dipper raised a hand toward her cheek, but stopped halfway. Instead, he placed his hands on her shoulders, holding them carefully.

"Do you remember what you said to me, once, a long time ago?" He whispered.

"I said a lot of things." She sniffed.

" "You're my brother, you should be supporting me in this trying time!" " Dipper smiled a little, as he put on a hushed squeaky voice.

She sobbed out a laugh, despite herself.

"You're such an idiot." She croaked. "You got me that stupid date and everything. I still don't know what you did to that kid."

"I'll never tell." He grinned.

They held each other's gaze for a moment until she couldn't hold back anymore, throwing herself against him. She felt his arms slide from her shoulders, around her back. She buried herself in his chest and began to cry.

"Come on." He murmured, softly.

Mabel let him scoop her up in his arms and carry her into his room.

"I'll always be there to support you, Mabes. Just like you were for me." Dipper whispered, shutting the door behind him.


	5. Of Pigs And Parks

Dipper sat on the fallen log, watching Wendy and her friends playing Frisbee on the green, forlornly. He tried to bury himself back in his book, even though it was pointless while he insisted on forcing himself to sit there and watch the older kids.

He'd thought he and Wendy had been getting along better in the last few weeks, but maybe he was kidding himself. It wasn't that she'd refused to let him hang out with them, he'd declined her offer actually. But he knew he wouldn't fit in with her friends any more than he did with the kids back home.

He watched Wendy dive for the airborne toy and sighed. He was definitely crushing hard. So hard, he didn't notice the-

"Orriinnk."

"The fu-!" He blurted, half-jumping to his feet, scrabbling to regain his balance as Mabel's rasping laughter broke out from behind him. "Mabel!" He yelled, hurling the book vaguely in her direction.

She ducked, holding Waddles up as a shield. The book bounced off the pigs head. It snorted.

"Waddles!" She squeaked. "Truce! Truce!" She crossed her fingers, waving them in the air.

"I'm out of books anyway." Dipper shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets and sitting back on the log.

Mabel walked round so she was to his right and looked at him expectantly.

"It's a free log." He shuffled over so she could sit down. Waddles snorted again as she sat him on her lap and began chewing the sleeve of today's sweater. It was purple. He briefly wondered what the pig thought it was, or if it even cared.

"So, Dippingsauce, what's the game plan?" She asked, suddenly.

"Game plan?"

"Yeah, to win her off Robbie."

"I dunno. Tried that before. Time travelled a lot. Didn't really help." He kicked a loose pebble. "Only time I got close you lost Waddles to _Pacifica._" He made a phony "throw-up" sound at the back of his throat to illustrate his opinion of the spoiled blonde. "Couldn't do that to you, not even for Wendy."

"Well, I'm sure Waddles is as grateful as I am you didn't let him wind up stuck with _her_." Mabel stuck out her tongue. "She'd probably have turned him into bacon."

Waddles oinked suddenly, making the both of them jump.

"Ohhh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Mabel cried, covering the pigs ears and hugging him tightly. "I didn't mean to mention the "B" word!"

Dipper burst out laughing at the sight. Unintentionally or not, Mabel had a knack for making him feel better. He watched her rocking back and forth with the pig, distressing the poor thing even more and in turn, distressing herself…even more. Sometimes he wondered how he'd manage without her. Even though she drove him mad, he'd probably go even more mad without her. Mabel's craziness stopped him living in his own head too much.

Like now, he mused, the second before Mabel and Waddles crashed into him with a cry of "Look out!" and sending them all tumbling to the floor in a heap.

"Mabel, what the hell-" He grunted, trying to free himself from the tangle, just in time to see the Frisbee sail harmlessly to the floor at the foot of the log. "Are you _serious_?" He stared at her, blank faced.

She let out a nervous chuckle, flashing a beaming smile.

"It coulda been dangerous, Dip!" She insisted. "It coulda-aahh!" She yelped as he rolled her off him.

"Ooorrrnnk!" Waddles snorted, as he deposited the pig onto Mabel's stomach eliciting another squeak from his sister.

He heard shouting as he clambered to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Come on Dipper, chuck it back!" Wendy called, waving.

He stooped to pick up the thing, just as Robbie came jogging over. He didn't like Robbie.

"Quit wasting time, kid, just give it back al-" He sent it flying over Robbie's head, mid-moan.

"Oh, sorry dude." Dipper apologised, trying to sound surprised. Robbie's expression twisted into a scowl. Robbie didn't like him either.

"Thanks Dipper!" Wendy yelled from behind him.

Dipper smirked.

"Little brat." Robbie muttered. "Just keep you and your weird sister out of our way, yeah?"

He glanced back at Mabel briefly, wondering if she'd heard what he said. She had her back to them, and was dusting off her knees. Dipper glared back at him.

"Back off. Nobody calls my sister weird apart from me, grease-monkey."

Robbie's scowl actually managed to become even…scowlier.

"Whatever." He muttered, trying to be aloof. "At least she doesn't follow my girlfriend around like a lost puppy." Robbie shot him a last frown and stalked off.

"Man I hate that guy." Dipper mumbled.

"Didja give him what for?" Mabel piped up, suddenly beside him.

"Orrinnk?" Waddle snorted.

Dipper made a non-committal noise at the back of his throat.

"I heard what he said." She continued. "Heard what you said too."

"Well," He looked at her, then back toward Robbie. "It's true. Nobody but me gets to call you weird." Dipper replied, awkwardly.

Mabel smiled a little, seemingly satisfied. She then began whispering to Waddles and a moment later the pig was tearing after the lanky teenager. He turned to his sister, about to question her, when she nudged his shoulder, gesturing for him to watch.

Robbie squealed, actually squealed, in surprise as the pig suddenly appeared under his feet. He tried to avoid tripping over the surprisingly athletic Waddles, only to get tangled in his own legs and promptly fall over. Waddles, sensing his opportunity, scurried onto Robbie's prostrate form and up the teenagers shirt, oinking and snorting as he went.

Dipper and Mabel burst out laughing as the teen tried to dislodge the insistent animal, rolling to and fro on the floor. Behind him he could see Wendy and the rest of her friends laughing too.

"How do you get him to _do_ that?" He asked, turning to his sister.

"I, Dippingsauce," She began, wrapping an arm around his shoulder conspiratorially. "Am a pig-whisperer." She waggled her fingers mysteriously.

"Never change, Mabel."

"Me?" She asked, mock-offended. "Never."

…

Dipper stopped to catch his breath again.

"Come on Dip, giddy up already." Mabel jabbed his side with her foot.

"I'm gettin' too old for this." He muttered. Adjusting his grip on Mabel's legs for the umpteenth time. Why he'd agreed to give his sister a piggy-back all the way to the park he didn't know. Well he _did_ know, but he was going to pretend he didn't.

"That's defeatist talk!" She jabbed his other side.

"Do that again and I'll drop you sis."

"You wouldn't do that," She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek against his. "You _love _me. I'm loveable. Who doesn't?"

He couldn't help but smile. At least she was back to her old self again. It wasn't often she let mom get to her like that anymore.

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't drop you if that foot of yours comes anywhere near my stomach again." He affirmed.

"Grouch." She nuzzled his head.

He glanced around warily out of habit more than anything. This early, most people were probably just getting up. Especially considering it was a weekend. Himself included, if he hadn't let Mabel "persuade" him they should go out. He wasn't sure she'd want to do anything after last night, but that was Mabel all over, she didn't mope.

So it was they'd hurriedly dressed at about five in the morning and left the house, hands full of toast. At least that woman they lived with had crawled to bed at some point during the night, what was her name again?

Oh yeah, mom. He thought, bitterly.

"So…" She began, filling the silence. "Have you thought about where you want to go, college-wise?"

He looked back at her, but she was looking ahead, expression neutral.

"I've looked into it a little. I mean, I can pretty much go anywhere that runs the mathematics course I want to do. But there're definitely some places that will be better for it than others." He felt her nod. "You?"

"I still haven't decided whether I want a degree in art or music. If only there was some weird conglomeration of the two." She mused. "I know I can take one as a second, but I don't know which I'd take for the degree."

"Have you decided where you'd want to go?"

She leaned back and shrugged, then yelped as she nearly lost her balance, grabbing onto his shoulders again.

"Fuckfuckfuck!" Dipper staggered under Mabel's sudden movement, letting out a relieved sigh as he managed to not fall over. "Sit still would you?" He grinned, giving her thigh a squeeze.

"Sorry." She squeaked, clinging on tightly.

They came up on the park entrance just as the sun was settling in the sky.

"So…uh, you don't really know where you want to go either then?" He asked.

"I can go pretty much anywhere that runs the course I want to do." She replied, quietly.

"I've heard that somewhere before." He chuckled.

The question hung in the air between them, heavy. Dipper wasn't willing to broach it right now, and he suspected Mabel wasn't either.

Five minutes, and several stops for breath later, Dipper finally reached the top of the small hill that lay in the centre of the park. Mabel slid off his back, getting the feeling back into her legs. It was already getting hot. He rolled up the sleeves of the shirt he worse, wondering if he'd regret wearing cargo pants instead of shorts later.

Mabel didn't seem to notice things like temperature. She was wearing one of her giant sweaters, blue today, with a bumblebee on the front, and a pair of jean shorts. They showed off her legs nicely, in the glow of the morning sun.

She noticed him looking, quirking her head slightly in amusement.

"See something you like?" She teased, putting a hand on her hip, he felt his face flush a little.

She smiled at his sudden awkwardness, and took his hand, pulling him beside her.

"Glad to see you're feeling better." He managed.

"Oh you know me." She waved a hand, idly.

"Yeah, I do."

"Don't worry about all that other stuff now." She whispered, running a hand down his cheek.

"What, you mean like everything ever?" Dipper smirked.

"Yeah, Dipmunch," She flicked his forehead. ", that."

He reached a hand out, brushing the long, loose tresses of her hair and tucking it behind her ear. Mabel was looking at him expectantly. He made to look around them, but she stopped him, keeping his gaze fixed on her.

"There's nobody but us."

"Guess so." Dipper replied, cupping her chin gently, as they leaned into one another and their lips met.


	6. Siblings

"_For how long long I love my lover, now, now?  
For how long long I love my lover, now, now?  
For how long long I love my lover, now, n-_"

"Alright, hold on, hang up." Blake interrupted their rehearsal, setting down his drumsticks. There was a chorus of irritable groans.

Mabel sat down on an amp, sliding off her guitar, equally frustrated. This whole rehearsal had been a bust so far, something was eating at everybody. Herself included.

She realised after a moment that everybody was looking at her.

"What?" She looked around vaguely.

"Got something on your mind, Mabel?"

She blinked. Of course she did, but she couldn't tell them that.

"Who doesn't?" She answered, after a pause.

Blake crossed his arms and sighed. He took his band seriously. He reminded her of Dipper in that. He was a pretty tall guy, with spiked up short brown hair.

"Let's be fair, nobody else is letting it affect their performance." He gestured to the others. Lucy and Ned nodded, guiltily.

"Thanks, guys." She rolled her eyes.

"We just want to help, if we can. What's up?"

She looked at them all.

What was up? Apart from the fact that a way of life was coming to an end? They were leaving school? Splitting up and heading out on their own? Going to college? Or what about the fact that her own mother hated her all her life? How about the fact she didn't know why her mother hated her for all her life? What about her dad skipping out on them when she was fourteen? Or maybe even realising that the only real friend you ever had, the only person who was ever really there for you, who ever even cared about you, was your twin brother? What about being so close, so familiar, so intimate with that brother and not caring about the lines you cross? What about realising that you were in love with that brother? What about realising he was in love with you? How do you explain how it happened? How do you even reconcile with yourself? Where was the moment where their bond as siblings morphed into romantic feelings? And now, now they were going to be apart. For the first time in their lives, they were going to be really apart. What did that mean for them?

"Mabel?" Lucy ventured, with a little wave. "You all there?"

She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, its fine."

The others didn't look convinced.

"Look, I just lost some sleep the other night." That at least, was true.

Blake seemed mollified, at least.

"Well, we'll table rehearsal for today. No sense forcing it, we'll only get edgy with each other." He stood, retrieving his bag. "See you guys tomorrow. And hey, take it easy Mabel."

She nodded.

Ned yelled a farewell and disappeared out the door, leaving Lucy and her. She liked Lucy, but right now she hoped she could get out without the girl asking-

"I know that look, that's the 'guy trouble' look." She smiled, sympathetically. "The others are gone now, you can talk to me." Lucy offered.

"It's not what you think." Mabel blurted, before she could stop herself.

"Oh?" She grinned. "And how do you know what I think?"

"…um…?"

"Y'know, I wondered at first if it was just about this Nick guy who asked you to the dance. I've never seen you with another boy really, thought maybe you had the jitters."

"No, its not-" Mabel objected.

"But it's not that is it. You've got another guy, somebody who you really love, but in secret." She continued. "But you agreed to go with Nick because you're just so…nice."

"…er…" Mabel blanked, morbidly fascinated by both how near and off the mark Lucy was getting it.

"That's so romantic Mabel!" She laughed.

"Isn't it just…?" She smiled, weakly. She wondered if she should tell Dipper about all this, maybe he'd find it funny in a twisted sort of way? He had a pretty black sense of humour anyway.

"Don't you worry, your secret is safe with me."

"…thanks. I, er…I've got to go and meet my brother now, so I'll see you tomorrow I guess?" She slung her guitar over her back.

"Say I said hi!"

Mabel waved and made for the door, heart hammering in her chest.

…

Mabel lay back on the bed. The same, rickety, battered old bed as last year. In the same, grubby, ancient room she shared with Dipper last year.

Honestly, she couldn't be happier.

This was the second summer they'd spent in Gravity Falls. After the year they'd had, she couldn't wait to get away from home again. With Dipper.

A snore from across the room reassured her of his presence.

Things were good between them. After their first summer here, they were closer than ever before, and after the year they'd had, they were closer yet.

Things weren't good at home. Their mom hadn't even driven up with them to Gravity Falls this time. Dad had driven them, and he'd been silent practically the whole way. Which was actually rare, these days. Back home he and mom spent most of the time yelling at one another, or at her. Or occasionally Dipper whenever he stood up for her. She didn't understand it all.

And they started high school next year. Things were happening fast, Mabel was just glad for a chance to get away from everything. She glanced at Dipper, he must have been happier about it. He'd always been trying to grow up faster, this must be what he wanted, right?

She didn't know what she wanted. She just wanted to have fun, to do things she liked, to hang out with Dipper. Was that so much?

"I can hear you thinking from here." Dipper murmured, making her jump.

"What's that supposed to mean!" She retorted, rolling over so she faced him.

"You're a loud thinker." He yawned.

"That doesn't even mean anything!"

"I know, right?" He laughed. "Is this what it feels like being you?"

Mabel's only response was to hurl a cushion at him from across the room, but she giggled too.

"Nice to be back, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess it is." He replied. "Altough…" He trailed off.

"What?" She asked, smiling.

Dipper looked embarrassed. She thought it was cute.

"…uh…just saying, it doesn't matter to me where we are really, as long as you're around, sis." He chuckled nervously.

Her heart flipped and she felt fuzzy all over. It took all her will not to go "aaawwwwww". She beamed at him.

"Love you, Dip." She said, laying back again.

"Love you too, Mabel." He replied.


	7. Changes

A/N: Alright, let's turn up the awkward teenage-phase-ness!

...

"It's our first high school prom, Dipster!" She wailed from behind her door. "And Chris Daniels asked me! _Me!_"

He exhaled, leaning back against her door.

"I get that, but-"

"It needs to be perfect!"

He adjusted his tie, changing his mind about it again. He loosened it, deciding the crisp, clean, formal look wasn't for him.

"Yeah, but-"

"He asked me!" She repeated. He could almost feel her excitement radiating through the door.

He scowled, involuntarily. Truth be told, he had mixed feelings about that. Chris Daniels was, well…for lack of a better word, a dick. His friends were dicks, their friends were dicks. They thrived on making people miserable. Hell, they'd given him a hard time from the off and all through freshman year.

A lot of them made jokes about Mabel when she wasn't around, calling her things, saying she was weird and odd, or even retarded. Never to her face, but he knew she heard the rumours. Hell, he'd sat and held her while she cried her eyes out in her room enough times. He'd never heard Chris himself say anything about her, but he'd had no issue ramming Dipper into lockers, tackling him at random around school or generally making his life hell.

That he'd suddenly turned and asked his sister to the prom, and told his friends to back off all at once made Dipper…uneasy.

And anyway, he was one of those guys. He was in the year above, he was sporty, athletic, good looking, not the sort who…who…who went for people like Mabel. He bit his lip, not that she wasn't good enough for him, no. She was _too _good for him as far as he was concerned.

She wasn't like the other girls they usually went for. She didn't pile on pounds of make-up, bleach her hair, colour her skin. She didn't dress up a lot. She was pretty, she was funny, kind, enthusiastic…she was artistic, she'd even been learning to play guitar. People just didn't see her the way he did, didn't understand her the way he did.

"You still there Dipper?" She called out.

"Yeah." He replied, distractedly.

Dipper frowned, that was a lot of thinking. But he had a lot on his mind, and it was just brotherly concern, he reminded himself. Even if the two of them were closer than any other siblings he'd ever met. They just…were. Dad left during the year. Just up and went. No more arguments between he and mom, though instead she turned her anger on them now. Mostly Mabel, for some reason and he hated her for it.

So they were close, it was only natural, given what they'd been through in Gravity Falls and what they dealt with at home and school. They had each other, they consoled each other, found solace in each other.

Although, things were a little…odd sometimes. They used to just hang around each other nearly all the time, everywhere. They'd spend the night in one another's rooms and stuff. But then she'd started to…change…in ways. He flushed, remembering the time he'd gone to her room and she'd let him in right after she'd had a shower and was getting changed, not thinking and…

His face flushed just thinking about it.

Idly he wondered when he'd started seeing her as a girl.

"I'm ready!" Mabel all but screeched in excitement.

"Let's see it then." Dipper sighed, standing up straight, wondering what could possibly have taken her so long. She didn't need to bother with all that dressing up stu-

"Whaddya think, bro?" She stepped out.

…-u-u-u-uuuuff?

He made a strangled noise at the back of his throat, managing to nod appreciably.

She'd gone to town. Her long hair was pulled back and done up into streams of curly strands, with a fringe curving to one side, tucked behind her ear and held in place with a blue hairband. She'd chosen a light blue dress with short sleeves that came down to her knees and a tight section at the waist that showed off the curves and shapes of her body he was only just noticing she had. Especially around…well, and around…yeah, anyway.

And she was wearing a pair of opaque tights that made her legs look…and heels! He derailed the thought. Mabel never wore heels! He didn't even know she had any.

She giggled, doing a spin.

"Will he like it?"

"Does a Gobblewonker shit in the woods?"

"No, in the lake." She smirked, crossing her arms.

"Whatever. Look, unless he's been struck blind by too much football-induced trauma to that empty head of his…"

He wondered briefly if he should try and persuade her not to go with Chris again. They'd talked, well argued, a lot about it over the past week or so. It wasn't that Mabel was naïve, she just…saw the best in people. They both knew what Chris and his friends were like, but where he expected the worst as a result, she would always be willing to give them another chance.

"I know what you're thinking." She said slowly. "But I've made my mind up, I'm going with him."

There was also the fact she was stubborn as hell. "Resolve", she called it.

"You don't even like him."

"He asked me. It would be rude not to."

And that was that. It was that simple to her. It wasn't about status, or popularity, or one-upping the cheerleaders. It was because it wouldn't be nice to refuse.

He shrugged, with a small nod.

"So you think I look alright?"

"Mabel, you look…" He struggled. "…uh…beautiful. And if he can't see that…"

She looked momentarily disheartened.

"Sorry, it's just-" He was caught off guard as she flung her arms around him in a hug.

"I know, you care."

He was still momentarily stunned. They hugged all the time, but right now, with Mabel all dressed up and perfumed and all that she was overwhelming his senses. Eventually he managed to fold his arms around her and hug her back.

"…uh…yeah." He agreed, trying to clear his head.

"Now come on broseph," She pulled away and took his hand in hers. ", mom's probably pissed at us again and she's got to drive us."

"Sure." He managed, letting her tow him with her, head spinning.

…

Mabel looked sideways at her brother, as he slumped forward onto the desk again. Class by now was just a formality. There was nothing left to learn, the teachers, the students, the school, they were just killing time till it ended.

He'd worked hard over the exams, for himself and for her. She wasn't stupid, but some subjects totally eluded her and he'd taken on the added workload of helping her study too.

She smiled as he let out a snore-snort.

The teacher didn't seem to care anymore than the students, seemingly not noticing her brother faceplanting the desk.

Mabel turned her attention back to her doodling. Though Dipper insisted her "doodles" were better quality than some actual art he'd seen. She'd been sketching the dress she thought she wanted for the prom on a figure that bore more than a passing resemblance to herself, stood next to a figure which bore a more than passing resemblance for the snoozing cavalier beside her.

She bit her lip, glancing at the back of his head. It would be the first time since freshman year they were going to the prom with other people. Since the first time, she winced at the thought, they sorta just wound up going together. Not "together" together, but just hanging out with each other and other friends rather than going with any dates.

They obviously couldn't go as…what they were, whatever that was. For obvious reasons. Still, she looked down at the doodle, finishing a few lines so they were holding hands, she could dream.

She knew he was only taking Jenny because they were friends. Neither were seeing anyone…officially, she reminded herself, so it just fit. She didn't mind. She wondered what Dipper thought about her going with Nick though. He hadn't shot it down, or disagreed, but he hadn't really said anything about it at all. He could be hard to read, sometimes.

Like back in freshman year. They were both pretty confused then, mixed up. Neither really knew where they were headed, or what they wanted. She doubted she could have ever guessed they'd ever…end up like this.

It all changed at that dance, though.


	8. Mabel Unleashed

A/N: Chapter 8: In which Mabel is awesome.

...

"Have you picked out a suit yet?"

"Hm?" Dipper replied, absent-mindedly.

She looked back at her brother and nearly broke out into laughter.

He'd never really got used to the idea of shopping for clothes with her, she knew it made him uncomfortable and right now that was as true as ever. They were deep in the women's clothing and the ever chivalrous Dipper was trying to avert his eyes from everything and refusing to let his glance linger on anything for more than three seconds.

The mischievous part of her, which to be frank made up about 95% of her personality, won a short mental debate.

They were stood next to the underwear section. While Dipper was focused intently on a spot on the ceiling, she retrieved something which even to her looked like nothing more than a couple of bits of string. Barely able to restrain the grin smeared on her face, holding the frail articles against her, she said in the sweetest voice she could muster,

"Dippeerrr, what do you think of this one…?"

"Oh I'm sure whatever you choose is fi-" His eyes came to rest on her. "…fi-fi-fi-ffffuuuuu…?" The words gave up and died in his throat.

"Yes?" She stuck her hips out, running a hand through her masses of hair, sending the tresses falling wildly around her face, like the models did. "No?" She smiled innocently.

Dipper only stared, face getting redder by the second. He looked like he might have a stroke. She hung the skimpy thing back up, shaking her head. Sometimes it was too easy, she almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

He was still blushing furiously, eyes fixed on her. Mabel felt flattered, she was worried she was going to break her brother if she pushed it any further though.

"You're…you're taking the piss." He managed, recovering slightly.

"Picked up on that didja Dipster?" She quipped, dryly. _Still. _"Although, you did seem quite taken with it, bro, maybe I _should_-"

Her hand wasn't halfway to the rack again before Dipper had a firm hold on her wrist and a hand pressed down on the rack, to stop her picking anything up.

"Oh, you want to pick something?" She purred, beaming up at him.

She saw the gears in his mind turning as he saw where his hand was, then she saw them shudder to a halt as he jumped, actually jumped, backwards.

"…umm…" He fumbled.

She glanced around. The shop was pretty empty. While Dipper was still in the throes of Mabel-induced chaos, she leaned up and kissed him on the nose.

"_M-Mabel!_" He hissed. "There's-"

"-nobody around, dude. Chill." She smirked.

He made a quiet grumbling noise.

"Don't get so stressed out." She sighed, shaking her head. "Sometimes you can be so edgy."

"To say people frown on what…" His eyes softened as he looked at her. "…what we are is an understatement. I don't want you to suffer because…"

"Like our freshman prom?"

His eyes clouded over.

"I never hated anybody so much as I hated Chris that night."

"It's in the past." Mabel squeezed one of his hands, affectionately.

"You deserved better than that. You-"

"Hey," She gripped his chin, gently. "I got better, I got you didn't I?"

He managed a soft smile.

"And besides," She continued, grinning goofily. "Somehow, don't ask me how, but somehow, you got me. And we _both_ know I'm _way _out of your league Dippingsauce."

"Oh yeah, you're a real princess." He grinned.

"Damn straight!" She agreed. "Now, since you've completely sabotaged my shopping trip, you owe me."

"Y'what?" He blurted.

"Yeah Dipper. You totally sidetracked this. I demand you buy me cake. And ice-cream. And a cool hat. And we want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!"

"Did you just quote Withnail and I?" He quirked an eyebrow, as he stuck his hands in his pockets and offered her an arm.

"Possibly." She took the arm as they made their way out.

"I knew there was a reason I put up with you." He laughed, as she punched him in the arm.

…

Dipper lounged by the side of the gymnasium. The music blared on, partygoers danced, mingled and hurried back and forth. Mabel had wandered off soon after they'd arrived, with Chris. He'd found his way over to a group of people he knew vaguely from his science class and tried to keep up with their conversation, but his focus kept drifting to his sister, across the room.

Everything seemed okay, despite his misgivings. She was talking excitedly, surrounded by the larger athletes and some of their dates. She stuck out like a sore thumb but she didn't care. She never did.

Chris met his gaze once, when his attention drifted to Mabel once again. The jock smiled.

It wasn't a comforting smile.

It was true that since he'd asked Mabel to be his date, he and the others had left Dipper alone, and it was true that while Chris's friends went out of their way to pick on him, maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe Chris was just-

The smile turned into a sneer.

He saw with a looming inevitability as one of Chris's friends held up a drink and poured it over Mabel's head. Half the gymnasium turned toward them as she let out a cry of surprise. And then the others took it in turns to do it again, and again, and again. His sister didn't make a sound after the first one.

And there were the names. _Loner. Freak. Spaz._

Dipper, meanwhile, was furious.

So they didn't like him, for some reason. Whatever. He didn't care about that. If they had a problem with him they could make his life miserable, by all means, but humiliating Mabel to get at him? In front of everybody? He was furious.

He knew he had exactly no frame of reference for what he was about to do, as he felt himself crossing the hall toward them. Sure, he'd dealt with spooky happenings and ghouls and monsters but those were things he could figure out with his brain, a puzzle, a problem. This wasn't quite the same.

Chris had some snide remark on the tip of his tongue but Dipper was past talking. He barely registered Mabel tugging soaking strands of hair out of her eyes and the surprise on her face as he balled his hand into a fist and swung it into Chris's jaw. Dipper's hand hurt like hell, but as the older teen lurched backward, it felt worth it.

Then all hell broke loose.

Dipper vaguely recalled a _whooshing_ sound to his left before a fist slammed into his head with the force of a freight train. He staggered, head spinning, trying to keep a grip on what was happening.

Chris was cursing, nursing his jaw and his friends were stalking toward Dipper. He didn't need to be psychic to see what was coming his way.

Of course, they'd underestimated Mabel. Everybody did.

He didn't mind admitting she was the muscle in the two-twin operation to combat the insanity that was Gravity Falls. It wasn't so much that she had mastered any kind of martial art, rather that she was just really good at hitting things harder and faster than they could hit her.

At some point she'd liberated a nearby punch bowl, bring it down heavily on one of the jock's heads. A second swung at Dipper, and if he wasn't having such a hard time standing, it probably would have connected. As it was, he stumbled again, and the swing struck the back of the head of the person behind him.

"Motherfucker!" The angry victim cursed.

Somebody crashed into him, sending the two of them tumbling to the floor, grappling. Somewhere in the background he saw a large kid wearing combat boots drive his foot between the legs of one of Chris's friends.

"You little fuck." His attacker swore. He realised it was Chris as the Sophomore drove his fist into Dipper's stomach.

Things were going about as well as he thought they would.

"Hey!" He heard Mabel yell. "Let go of my brother!"

Chris stopped hitting him long enough to get a high-heeled shoe hurled into his face. Dipper couldn't even hear the music anymore, but there _was _a lot of shouting going on.

"What the fu-" Chris clutched his head, getting up. Mabel removed her other shoe, holding it over her head threateningly. She hurled it, grinning as it connected with Chris's head. Again.

Their scuffle had turned the gymnasium into a brawl. The school staff had at last begun to intervene, pulling students apart and he was pretty sure by now the cops had been called too.

Chris was still clutching his head, growling to himself when Mabel was suddenly in front of him. Time seemed to slow for a second as he realised she was there and saw her pull back her arm, hand balled into a fist. Before he could react, she swung her fist into his nose, with a snarl, followed by the most sickening crunch. He wailed, _wailed. _Dipper laughed.

Mabel and someone he only recognised as the "Motherfucker" guy helped him up as they scurried out of the gym, before things got any worse. Dipper didn't care. It was probably a side-effect of being hit in the head, but he couldn't have been happier. He'd got a good hit on Chris's jaw before he had the stuffing beat out of him, Mabel had made the jock cry like a baby and best of all, his sister wasn't with that asshole anymore.

They stopped a ways down the street out front of the school, on a public bench. The three sat quietly, catching their breath. Dipper leaned back, not really caring about the pain while Mabel kept glancing his way, worriedly. Their new friend broke the silence.

"So…my name's Dave. It's…uh…"

"Just call me Dipper." He managed, wincing.

"Mabel." Mabel waved.

"That was ballsy, dude." Dave grinned.

"Ahh, well, I was defending the honour of my sister!" He smirked.

"It's just as well your sister was around to defend you, Dip." Mabel poked his forehead, with a chuckle.

"That was awesome, you've got one hell of a swing."

"Thanks!" Mabel beamed.

"Hey man, I'd better get going. Dance turned out to be a bit of a bust and all, but I'll see you around Dipper."

"Sure thing." Dipper saluted goofily, as Dave left them.

The two sat side by side in quiet again. In the distance they heard she sound of sirens, from the direction of the school.

"Defending my honour, huh?" Mabel said, wryly.

"Absolutely."

"What were you thinking?" She asked, more seriously this time.

He turned toward her and hesitated. Her eyes were full of concern, face clearly painted with worry.

"I…uh…wasn't." He answered, truthfully.

Mabel's expression shifted, slightly. To what, he wasn't sure.

"I…I couldn't just let them…I wasn't going to let them do that to you and get away with it. You're my sister and I…love you." He looked away, he could feel his cheeks warm, why was he blushing? What did he have to be embarrassed about?

He felt her hand on his and before he realised it, she'd leant over and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you." She smiled. He smiled back. "B+ for effort, at least." She quipped, suddenly.

"Come on, that was at least an A-, it was dramatic as hell." He argued.

"We'll see if we can bump it up with your extra credit assignment." She got up, straightening her dress out.

"Extra credit?"

"Yeah. Piggy-back home Dippingsauce?" She batted her eyelashes.

"You kidding?" He got up, sore all over.

"You see any shoes on my feet?" She gestured down. "The honour of a lady and her feet are at stake here!"

He considered objecting again, but gave up, sighing and shaking his head.

"Fine." He conceded, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "Let's get the lady home."

She giggled with barely constrained glee and hopped onto his back, whereupon he nearly dropped her twice trying to grip her legs, once again blushing furiously. He was tired, and sore, and confused. This kind of intimacy had never bothered him before, and he was too worn out to try and think about it now.

"Home, yo!" Mabel yelled, wrapping an arm around his neck.

"No backseat driving." He grunted, earning him a gentle smack on the head and another kiss on the cheek.

Confused, absolutely. But that was Mabel, he figured. Not such a bad night after all.


	9. Inevitable

A/N: Have some tension, have it all.

Dipper was very confused.

"…the fuck was that all about?" He asked, half to himself as they left the cinema.

He'd just spent the last hour and a half watching Maleficent, at Mabel's behest. Mabel had seemed to enjoy it for the most part, she was better at switching off those parts of the brain that wanted to say "this is stupid, that is stupid" during the film.

"You're so hard to please, Dip." She rolled her eyes, leaning against him.

"I am not!" He objected. "But come on, she was one of the most famous and memorable villains in Disney history and they turned her into frigging Captain Planet!"

"I think I'd pay to see that actually…" Mabel snort-giggled at the mental image. "Besides, you don't get it! It was about _love_, Dipweed." She gushed, as if it was completely obvious.

"Oh naturally." He agreed, sarcastically. She elbowed him.

"It wasn't about some handsome prince saving the princess after falling in love at first sight," She continued, ignoring him. "It was about more than that, it was about real care and affection, nurtured over time, it was about a different kind of love, it wasn't perfect, it was rough, but it counted when it mattered."

He glanced sideways at her while she talked animatedly, more sure then than ever that he loved her. Anybody who could so passionately defend the merits of such a crappy film in such an endearing way had to be worth a few rocky cinema viewings.

"I certainly see what you're saying…" He began, rubbing his chin in mock-thought, Mabel huffed impatiently, muttering something about the artistic limitations of the academic mind. He grinned, and promptly plucked her hairband off her head, causing the mass of her hair to fall forward over her face.

"Dipweed!" She hollered, making a grab for it.

"Maybe you should get a haircut, sis." He jogged backward, out of reach.

"Never!" She shook a fist in the air. "Release my hairband!"

"Uh-uh!" He held it out of reach and caught her wrist as she made another grab for it. People were looking at them as they jostled and chased one another through the car park, but he didn't care. "The hairband will be freed, unharmed, if certain information is given." He quirked an eyebrow and leaned on his car.

"Blackmail!" She gasped, eyes wide. She looked adorable, he had to fight the urge to give it back there and then.

"Yes!" He grinned. "Nick has been oddly quiet on the particulars of the dance. Zis makes me oddly zuspeeshuss." He said in his best mangled "French villain" voice.

"Jealous?" Mabel teased, getting into the front passenger seat.

"Outrageously." He agreed, getting in too.

"Why'd you want to know anyway?" She asked, buckling in.

"Just curious I suppose." He fumbled with the seatbelt, when Mabel suddenly snatched back the hairband, throwing back her head in a triumphant laugh.

"No big secrets really." She replied, once he'd started the car, trying to sort her hair out again. "Maybe he just doesn't want any more jokes or something."

Dipper nodded, understanding. Truth be told, there were other reasons he'd asked that didn't involve Nick exactly. He'd been thinking a bit lately, running through old memories. As they pulled up to a red light, he could feel his sister peering at him curiously, then realised he'd been silent since they left the cinema.

"You don't have to be jealous, you know." She whispered, turning his cheek to face her.

He was going to say he wasn't, but she pressed her lips to his, silencing him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a passer-by make a…lewd gesture. If only they'd known the full story, they'd be making some very different gestures, he thought, grim.

He managed a smile, to set Mabel at ease, as they continued the drive home. But the moment had settled something in his mind, something he'd been uncomfortably accepting the inevitability of for a while. He didn't like it, but one of them had to make a move soon. He risked a glance at his sister, she was leant back against the seat, eyes closed. Her face was all soft curves and colours as they drove under the glow of the street lamps. She was beautiful, his mind going back to her words about the film.

Life wasn't a fairytale, though.

…

Sixteen year old Mabel took a break from sketching in her notebook. Back in Gravity Falls again, she mused, idly.

Not that she minded.

For once, it felt like things were going their way. Sophomore year had been a bit of a breeze. Their antics at last year's dance hadn't made them any more popular with the "in" crowd, now at least they simply gave them a wide berth, but more than that it had actually won them a few friends.

Across the way was the lake. It was a beautiful day. Mabel hadn't thought to bring out a swimsuit, but…

She looked around cautiously, and seeing nobody in sight, began to undress.

Almost immediately she heard voices shouting from the trees and before she could react, Dipper and Wendy burst from the treeline running as fast as they could.

"I thought you were kidding!" Wendy yelled.

"Haven't you seen enough of the shit that goes on in this town to know better yet!?" Dipper retorted.

A low, rumbling roar erupted from somewhere behind them.

"Come on though, dude, sasquatch? I thought you were joking!"

"I never joke about sasquatch!" Dipper hollered back.

Mabel was frozen to the spot when Wendy locked eyes with her as they got closer.

"Mabel?!" Wendy blurted, screeching to a halt.

"Wendy!?" Mabel wailed., trying to cover herself.

"Mabel!?" Dipper babbled, crashing into Wendy.

"Dipper!?" Mabel cried.

"YEEAAARRGGHH!" Dipper yelled, covering his eyes.

"AAAAIIEEE!" Mabel shrieked.

This went on several more times while Wendy hurriedly helped Mabel get dressed again.

A roar burst out of the trees again.

"Sasquatch!" Dipper yelled, recovering slightly.

The third roar was all the convincing they needed to turn tail and run, not looking back.

An hour or so later, once Wendy had said goodbye, the two were alone again in their shared room at the Mystery Shack. Mabel fidgeted awkwardly on her bed in silence while Dipper all but buried himself in a book.

"Why're you ignoring me." She accused, eventually.

"I'm not."

"What have I don't wrong?"

"You haven't done-"

"It wasn't my fault, Dipper."

"I didn't say i-"

She jumped to her feet and pulled the book out of his hands.

"Look at me then."

He managed a brief glance before looking down at his bed again. Dipper hoped she couldn't read his mind, that much he was sure about.

"You won't even talk to me." She said, sadly, causing him to wince in guilt.

"I just…wasn't expecting to…see you like…like that." He stuttered, cheeks flushing as the image flooded his brain again.

She looked at him curiously, feeling herself blushing too.

"We've been…naked together before." She said, less sure of herself than she was earlier. Something _was_ different now.

"That was before." Her brother replied, staring fixedly at the floor.

"Before what?" She asked, surprised at herself.

"Before you…um…grew up." He mumbled, quietly. She either really had no idea of the effect she was having, he mused, or…

She crossed her arms over her chest, face as red as his.

"So…um…"

"…yeah…"

Well this was awkward, both of them thought.


	10. Falling

A/N: Sorry for the wait, works been a bastard lately.

...

Dipper looked up from the screen of his computer again, rubbing his eyes. He'd been scouring college choices and course possibilities for the past day or so non-stop, it felt like. He hadn't told Mabel yet, either.

One of them had to do this, and it might as well be him. He was more convinced than ever that some time apart, to live on their own, meet new people, pursue their own goals…it'd be good for them. It hurt to accept it, but there was no future for the two of them, not in the way they wanted. The world wasn't like that. The more he'd thought about it the more sense it made for the two of them, this was for the best.

He hadn't talked to Mabel about it because he wasn't sure how she'd react.

Dipper groaned, burying his head in his hands. Now he was lying to himself, he knew exactly how she'd react and _that_ was why he wasn't telling her. He just needed to prepare himself so that when he talked to her, he was ready. Maybe they could move past this.

"Dippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr!" Mabel announced herself, barging into his room and nearly giving him a heart-attack.

Downstairs there was a torrent of shrieked curses, but Mabel only rolled her eyes with a haughty dismissal.

"Mabes!" He greeted, edgier than he'd intended. He raced to hide what he'd been looking at in the most nonchalant way he could manage, but it wasn't enough to escape his sister's notice.

She pressed down on his shoulder, peering over his head.

"Porn?" She mused, cheerily.

Dipper broke into a fit of coughing as he choked on whatever words he'd come up with to object.

"I don't care what you're into really bro, it's none of my business." She scoffed. "We do both use this computer though, so I'd rather you didn't get some sorta V.T.D. from whatever shitty sites you're trawling though."

The word ''Wait." Was barely from his lips as she'd batted his hand away from the mouse playfully and brought up the tab he'd hidden.

There was a moments silence as he could practically feel her digesting the contents of the page.

"So…colleges, huh?" He felt her ease off him and step back.

"Mabel," He turned in his chair. ", you don't understand."

She glanced at him sharply, pacing back and forth around his room, slowly. The beginnings of hurt in her eyes were palpable.

"No, I don't." She replied simply. "Why don't you explain why you've been looking at colleges for god knows how long, without telling me?"

"I was just looking, Mabel, it's nothing. I was going to tell you before…" The words died in his throat. This was all going wrong, this wasn't how he'd wanted to talk about this.

Understanding dawned on her and she took a seat on the side of his bed, meshing her fingers together in front of her.

"So this is how we start "the talk", Dip?" She mumbled sadly. "You hide it all like it's something disgusting until I find it for myself?"

"This wasn't how I'd planned it." He replied, sitting next to her. He tried to take her hand but she refused.

"I didn't know you were this unhappy about…us. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm not." He argued. "It's not that, it's just-"

"Then why?" She looked up at him, eyes meeting his.

He took a deep breath. Well, it was now or never.

"Mabel, we've been together for so long. I mean, can you remember a time when it wasn't just the two of us? We were brought up together, lived together, fought together, we faced danger together, we've been so close for so long and…"

"And?"

"I think it would be good for us to do our own thing for a few years. See new places, pursue our own goals, get out there and be ourselves for a time. Especially you, Mabel. I don't want to be responsible for…for dictating the rest of your life just because of my own selfish needs, you deserve a chance to decide for yourself if...if what's between us is really…um…"

"No."

"What?" Dipper looked back at her, losing his train of thought.

"Don't you fucking dare."

"Mabel, what-"

"If you've got a problem, if you're scared or afraid of where we go…together, that's fine. It scares me too. We both know that we'd never be able to be together in any normal sense, we know that, but don't you dare try and tell me I don't really love you." She spat.

"Mabel, we've always been together, neither of us know any different, what if-"

"Bullshit, Dipper." She got to her feet. "You might have overthought this and buried yourself in guilt about everything, like you normally do, but don't try and foist the blame for all this on…on _nothing._ You're just making excuses." She raised both arms in a vague gesture of frustration. "You always do this, but this…?" She prodded his chest hard, repeatedly.

"Hey." He was on his feet now. "I love you, I do, but one of us-"

"What?" She snapped, turning on him sharply. "One of us has to be big? One of us has to grow up? Be a martyr? Bullshit. If you don't want to be with me, if you want whatever we…are to stop, then just fucking say that. Don't hide behind some sanctimonious bullshit." Mabel's eyes were wet with tears now, she was furious.

This was not going at all the way he'd hoped.

"It's just a few years…" He tried, regretting it instantly.

Mabel threw herself at him, hitting him randomly and swearing at him.

"You bastard, you fucking bastard!"

He tried to calm her, talk her down, anything, but everything he did seemed to make her angrier.

"Mabel, please!" He tried again, despite the inescapable feeling he'd just about ruined the only thing he really cared about in the world.

She stopped suddenly, looking up at him through her red, swollen eyes and loose strands of hair. Without a word, she turned and made for the door.

"Let me know when you're ready to talk about why you really don't want to be with me anymore." Mabel pulled open the door. "I love you, you fucking idiot." She muttered, pausing for a moment. Then she was gone.

…

They were coming to the end of summer, soon they'd be back home and school would start again. Mabel risked a furtive glance across the small room they shared at her brother.

And things were still…off…between them.

Moonlight shone through the cracked old window between their beds, bathing the old floor in white.

Mabel hated it. She hated how this…whatever, had ruined their relationship. They talked about as much as necessary, but they weren't like they were anymore. They weren't as close, and it made her more sad then she'd ever thought it would.

She'd chewed, mulled, pondered and racked her brains over the last real conversation they'd had about…it. It was something to do with her. He'd said it wasn't her fault, but she was part of the problem for Dipper.

Just as he was part of the…problem, for her.

She huffed, quietly. She couldn't even think about it without thinking of it as just vagaries, despite some small part of her beginning to put things together into a picture she wasn't quite ready to see.

Mabel had had a word with Wendy, about Dipper's moods and how things had changed, without mentioning that Dipper had said it was because of her. The older girl had just put it down to her brother getting older. And hormones. And girls.

The last part had made her uncomfortable, but only a little, less than she'd thought it should. She hadn't risked asking Wendy what to do if _she_ was the girl in question.

So Dipper had seen her naked and it bothered him. It never used to, they'd never really been apart at any point in their lives, they'd shared everything. Something had changed though. She had suspicions, wild thoughts, but…

She wasn't as naïve as people thought. She knew about things. As much as Dipper had been growing up with her, she'd been growing up with him too. She'd seen him grow and change. Stolen small glances at him topless as he left the shower, peered curiously at the way sweat glistened on…

She shook her head, trying to get back on track. Mabel knew these were things siblings were not supposed to…think about one another. But here they were, in this strange limbo. She wanted to get past it.

_"Before you…um…grew up."_ Her brother had said.

She blushed a little, looking over at him again. He was sprawled on his bed with a book on his face. He let out a snore.

Neither of them had ever really been in a relationship. She'd chased boys when she was younger, and he'd crushed on Wendy, but…

It flattered her that he thought she was attractive. It caused her no end of confusion that it did, but it did.

Her eyes fell on her snoring brother again, and a thought came to her. It made her blush even more than before, and there were a million ways this could go wrong, and…

But she was already on her feet, sliding off the bed and straightening out the creases in her nightshirt. Her breath caught as even she noticed the curves and shapes beneath it that weren't there before. She wasn't as…well-endowed…as some girls her age, but…

Her foot hit a creaky floorboard and Dipper snorted, book sliding to the floor and his eyes snapped open. They fell on her with a mix of confusion, fear and…something else?

"Mabel, what are you…?"

She bit her lip, far less sure of herself now than she was before. She took a deep breath and let it all out.

"Things haven't been the same, Dipper." She blurted. "I don't like it."

He smiled sympathetically.

"I know. I don't like it either." He sat up straight on the side of his bed, making room for her beside him. She sat down.

"So I was thinking…"

"Uh-oh." He joked, earning him a punch on the arm.

"Har-har." She retorted, sarcastically. "Anyway, I was thinking, this all started when you and Wendy…"

"Um…yeah." He interrupted.

"And I thought…maybe…if we're having these…weird feelings or something…what if we…

"…we?"

Mabel blinked, refusing to meet his gaze.

"…we." She affirmed. "What if we just…kissed?"

"Just…kissed?" He asked, not reacting in any of the myriad ways Mabel had been fearing.

"Like…kissed. On the lips. Like a real kiss."

"…uhhh…and that'd…help?"

"Well maybe it'll just…get this…whatever out of our systems?" She shrugged.

Dipper could think of so many reasons why they shouldn't "just kiss", but he wasn't offering any of them. He couldn't bring himself to crush Mabel when it'd clearly taken a lot of courage on her part to say this, and when he couldn't deny he'd been having…dreams…about something like this happening for a while now.

"…okay." He agreed, hesitantly.

"…okay." Mabel repeated.

They scooted a little closer, both breathing heavily, hearts thumping in their chests. This wasn't right or wrong or proper or indecent or…

Mabel tucked her hair behind her ear, in a simple motion she'd done numerous times a day all her life, but right then it made her seem more beautiful than she ever had been before.

They leaned forward, eyes closed, trying to ignore the sheer sense of…

Their lips met, pressing softly together.

In the grander scheme of kisses, it was probably clumsy, tame, not anything to get excited about. But Mabel was sure she'd never ever forget it.

They pulled apart, both surprised by the powerful feeling of regret at it being over. Their eyes met, so many emotions and things they wanted to say to one another that didn't quite seem important right at that moment.

Mabel knew this wasn't just going to go away. Something in Dippers eyes told her he knew it too.

Then they kissed again.


	11. Ice

A/N: For those curious, the song Mabel plays is Ice, by Camel. An amazingly powerful little tune, and one of my favourite bits of music.

...

The dance was only a few days away, and Mabel hadn't talked to him in a week.

Of course, he'd wasted a few days not talking to her, assuming she'd calm down and they'd talk it over. When it had finally sunk in, he realised that was just another thing he was going to have to apologise for. He never really thought about how much he took for granted that she'd do certain things, be certain ways, for him.

When he'd finally come to accept she wasn't going to just forget he'd been, well, a bastard, talk things out and see it his way, he knew he'd left it too long to hope to get away with an apology. She'd issued the ultimatum; he was going to have to choose.

He wandered the noticeably emptier corridors of the school, hands buried in his pockets. A lot of people just stopped turning up around this time, but he had nothing better to do. It was just another thing he'd taken for granted about his sister. Dipper was beginning to realise how much time to fill there was in a day, or a week, when he didn't spend most of it with her.

What had he been thinking, why had he done it? At one point he'd thought he was doing the right thing, but that was an easy thing to think when you expected your sister to go along with whatever you said, assuming she would simply be thinking the same thing. Had he really so habitually taken her for granted? The bitter thoughts ran wild in his mind.

A few days ago, he'd come home to find the woman whose house they lived in, what was her name? Oh yeah, mom. He'd come in to find their mom in the midst of one of her pick-on-Mabel moods, only she was even more drunk than usual…for the time of day, anyway.

He'd moved to step between them as he usually did, and guide the woman aside, but Mabel had fixed him with a stare and he'd stopped in his tracks. He'd been expecting an angry rebuttal, an argument, or something. But she ignored their mother's hysterics, replying only once, calmly.

"I'm leaving mom." She'd said, eyes fixed on him. "Don't expect me to always be around for you to feel better about yourself." Then she'd walked past both of them on her way out without a word.

If that hadn't been a hint then…well, there was not getting around the fact it was a hint. He'd barely seen her since then, she avoided him at home. And at school, she stayed pretty exclusively with her friends. And people noticed.

They really had always been together. The amount of times he'd played off concerned questions and remarks on the fact they had been avoiding each other for a week was telling.

There were two things he was sure of, now, at the end of this week.

The first was he had a lot to change about himself in their relationship. He'd assumed so much, taken so much, he shut his thoughts away and didn't talk them out, he let them fester and…and Mabel was right, he was afraid. And he did overthink things, and he was guilt-ridden, and now he was even more guilt-ridden, and now he was overthinking again and he knew it and…

He had to stop for a minute, leaning against a wall, trying to get his thoughts straight. This was going to be the death of him.

"Hey dude, you alright?"

He looked up, rubbing his head. Nick was looking at him, brow furrowed in worry.

"Yeah." He replied, not believing it. It didn't look like Nick did either.

"Do you mind if I say something man?"

"No." Dipper stood back up, the two began an easy stroll down the hall.

"It's about you and Mabel."

"Uh-huh." Well he'd expected that, he mused, trying not to wince.

"It's pretty obvious to…well…everybody that something is…off."

"Yup." He replied, curtly. He knew he was being childish.

Nick didn't rise to it though, nodding slowly instead, as if his answer had told him everything.

"Neither of you have been yourselves all week dude, what happened?"

His ears picked up the echoes of music. They wandered toward the school's small auditorium, used for speeches, the drama students and the occasional band. He already knew who'd be there.

"We…um…had a falling out." He murmured, as they came to the door.

Mabel was on the stage, with the band. They'd obviously been given the room to practice, seeing as it was hardly used around this time of year. Nick didn't even question what they were doing here as they took a seat near the back and watched.

"What about?"

He glanced at his friend, sorry that he'd never be able to tell him the full story. He was a good friend, but nobody could ever know.

"About college," He settled on part of the truth, after a brief mental struggle. ", we-…she wanted…she thought we'd be going to college together."

"You mean you're not?"

"I…don't know. I mean, I thought it might be good for us to do our own thing…for a few years." He frowned, more aware than before of just how stupid that did sound out loud.

"What actually happened then?"

"I was…looking at other colleges and didn't tell her, but I meant to. I just…I don't know."

Nick smiled sympathetically, patting his shoulder.

"For someone so smart Dipper, you really can be a fucking idiot sometimes."

"That's what Mabel always says."

"Well your sister is right, dude." He grinned. "Why didn't you want to go together?"

"I don't really know anymore, I thought I did, but now it just seems so stupid. And I've really pissed her off and…"

They turned their attention to the stage as the music changed. Mabel had seen him and had started playing something else entirely, much to the general confusion of her band. He recognised the tune of Ice, a few notes in. She kept glancing at him as she played, while talking quietly with the other girl, Lucy, he thought her name was. Gradually the rest of them seemed to pick up the song.

"What…?" Nick queried, turning to him.

"She only plays that when she's…uh…really upset." He muttered, not taking his eyes off the stage.

Dipper knew that well enough. He'd sat with her while she played it enough times after a particularly bad shouting match with mom, or a rough day at school, or…

…or like now, after your brother and…whatever…tried to tell you you just didn't know any better, you didn't know what you were saying, you didn't know what you were feeling, it was all in your head, it was all just confusion and mixed up.

But all the time he'd been trying to tell himself that, convince himself of that because he was so scared, so scared of what he felt for her and he didn't know what to do. He didn't know what the future meant for them and in a moment's weakness he'd chucked it all aside and hurt Mabel more than he ever had, more than he could bear.

"Jeez, she's incredible…" Nick mumbled as she hit the second half of the song.

"Yeah." He replied, quietly, meaning it in ways Nick would never understand.

She'd stopped looking now, instead shutting out everyone around her as she played. He was pretty sure her eyes were watering.

The band kept looking up at him, expecting him to go down there and do something. Then the expressions changed, he realised, and they were wondering why he wasn't going down there to do something.

Pretty soon they'd be wondering if he wasn't going down there to do something because this was something to do with him. Then they'd jump to the correct conclusion that it was something to do with him because it was his fault.

They were already glancing up at him with fairly suspicious frowns.

Mabel was winding up to the songs finish, not exactly playing anymore so much as just thrashing the life out of her guitar. His stomach turned to mush as he watched, and his blood turned to ice. It seemed a fitting metaphor, for what he'd put her through.

What the hell could he do though? He'd…fucked this up so beyond all imagining, as far as he could see. It wasn't just a matter of apologising, was it? He didn't think he deserved anything so simple, the idea of her forgiving him was almost as terrifying as the inevitability that she wouldn't.

He got to his feet, trying to ignore the eyes he felt watching him. Nicks, those on the stage…Mabel's…

It had all seemed to easy, before. Even though it was confusing and scary and like stumbling in the dark before they finally accepted the way they felt about each other, but easy even still, compared to this.

The dance was in two days, he had to work this out.


	12. Intervention

A/N: Some heady stuff today folks, sorry for the wait.

...

Dipper necked back another mouthful of the foul-tasting vodka. He couldn't stand the stuff, and he'd paid the guy who bought it for him way more than it was worth, but he didn't care. He didn't care because right now, he was drunk.

He stumbled against a tree, looking round uselessly. He'd wandered into the park and it was pretty late. Even that woman whose house he lived in…mom, was it? Even she'd be wondering where she was. Would Mabel? He chugged another mouthful, fighting the urge to spit it on the floor.

He scrambled up the hill, it took more than a few tries in his state. The ground kept moving, making it a lot harder. As he threw himself to the floor in an attempt to get things to stay still, he weighed the merits of continuing to drink, then downed another mouthful.

No he wasn't drunk, he mused, as the world shivered and shook. He was drunk about an hour ago, now he was something else. Drunked? Drunkest? Drunker? Drunker. He settled on that, satisfied.

Dipper hauled himself up against the back of a bench looking out over the park. Across the flat green below, past the hedge and two or three streets further on was home, but he wasn't ready to go there yet. He hadn't even stopped home after school, not after he'd seen Mabel. Not after that.

He took another swig, ignoring the sensation that his mind was sloshing about in his skull. Okay, so he was running away, he was a coward, he was scared. He knew all that now, it had been revealed to him ever more clearly in the past few days. But he wasn't going home until he could figure this out.

What did he want? What did _he_ want? He wanted Mabel to be happy, he wanted her to talk to him again, he wanted her not to hate him. His brow furrowed at the effort of thinking through the alcohol induced haze.

But they were all things that…they were just things that needed to be. Mabel needed to be happy, because he cared for her regardless of everything else, and he wanted to talk to her because…that was simply what they should be doing. But what did _he_ want?

Mabel wanted to go to college with together, she wanted them to be together, she wanted them to really…_be_ together. But did he? Did-

"Hey kiddo, what're you moping about?" A scratchy voice tore through his thoughts.

He looked up shakily, then his eyes widened and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"…Grunkle Stan?!"

He was so drunk.

…

He watched as Mabel hurled herself into the throng of dancers again, dragging Lucy behind her.

They were coming up on the end of their third year of highschool and to celebrate, Mabel and her friends in the band, and Dipper's friends had pooled their cash and gone to a three-day music festival outside Oakland. It had been a lot of fun, even if for the first day his friends and her friends had struggled to _connect_. Alcohol, as always, had been a great icebreaker.

Dipper grinned as Dave barrelled into the crowd with a roar that turned to laughter as those around him tried and failed to get out of his way. It was a shame Nick hadn't been able to get back in time for this, he was coming back for their last year after all. His friend hadn't been sure at first, but his parents had finally decided to make the move back and Dipper was glad to hear one of his oldest friends would be here for their last year at high school.

He took a swig of the cheap beer the festival had on tap. Tasted like shit, but it did the job. Dipper wasn't sure where Blake and Ned had gotten to, the current band must have just not been their thing.

Mabel suddenly appeared again at the edge of the crowd, struggling to free herself in a fit of giggles as she staggered out. Like always, she'd gone the whole hog for this. Her hair had flowers and dozens of clips braided into it. She was wearing a pair of huge aviators and a fluorescent pink hairband. She was wearing a pair of faded and torn shorts, a pair of flowery-patterned leggings and a loose-fitting sleeveless top that looked like somebody had vomited a rainbow onto it.

Dipper supposed he was completely plain, by comparison, having settled on a pair of black jeans and a red chequered shirt. She waved excitedly, on seeing him. He waved back. She ran over and jumped into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. This time he managed to stay on his feet, catching her.

"Come on Dipper, you can't just stand around all day!" She kissed him on the forehead.

It was innocent enough, but he still found himself looking around warily.

He found himself wondering about them again, he and Mabel. They'd been like this for the past year, ever since that night in Gravity Falls. They existed in this strange kind of…limbo. They both knew they were too close, they'd become…something more than siblings. But…

She smiled at him expectantly, pulling her glasses up onto her forehead, and all doubts in his mind fizzled out again, as they so often did. The fact he was half-drunk probably helped some. He liked her smile, the light in her eyes, the curve of her cheeks as her lips curled. It was a smile for him and he found he liked it. She had a pretty smile, Mabel always had.

You weren't supposed to think things like this about your sister. Was she thinking the same thing about him? He wasn't sure it made him feel any better to think she might.

"Let's go then shall we?" He smiled back, burying his misgivings. He threw her over his shoulder and she squealed, kicking her legs and laughing as they got lost in the crowd.

…

Dipper rubbed his eyes for the umpteenth time, but Grunkle Stan was still standing there, same old grin plastered on his same old face.

"Cat got your tongue, Dippy?" Stan reached out and swiped the bottle from his hand, chugging back several mouthfuls. He let out a contented sigh, then sat beside him.

Dipper was still trying to tell himself that this was a dream, or an illusion, or a hallucination of some description. But since when did drunken visions steal your booze and drink half of it like it was nothing?

"What the hell are you doing here?" He managed, ignoring the spike of nausea that suddenly washed over him.

"Heard my favourite nephew was in a spot of bother, I did." Stan stated as if it was obvious.

"I'm your favourite nephew?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow. Stan looked thoughtful for a second.

"Oh yeah, sorry, that was the other one." He let out a barking laugh, slapping Dipper on the back. Dipper managed to not end up sprawled over the floor.

He let Stan take the bottle again and watched as he down more of the Vodka like it was water. Dipper struggled not to drown as another wave of queasiness crashed over him.

"So what's up Dippy?"

A thousand thought ran through his brain in that instant, most telling him not to talk to Stan at all, but then they all fell silent under the dominating presence of Grunkle Stan.

"I don't even know where to start." Dipper shrugged.

"At the beginning of course!" Stan slapped the top of his head. "You could be the slow one sometimes, Dippy."

"Mabel always says that."

Stan took another swig, his head felt clouded, and his eyes heavy, but he began to tell Stan everything.

…

It was dark now, but the lights of the stage cast a blue glow over the dancing crowd. Ned and Blake still hadn't turned up, and they'd lost Lucy and Dave over an hour ago. They didn't care too much though, when it came down to it, they always seemed to wind up together.

Dipper knew he was pretty drunk now, the lights, the music, the press of the crowd, it was all overwhelming, but he was loving it. Mabel was lost in her own world, dancing to the music and probably even more drunk than he was. She could put it away a lot better than he ever could. He watched her, as he moved to the music. Her body writhed and shook, curled lithely with the beat. She was energetic, supple…stirring.

"Jesus, you're beautiful, Mabel."

Her eyes locked with his and he realised he'd said it out loud.

"I…I mean um…" He blurted, but she pressed a finger to his lips. Was he blushing, was she? Was it just the heat?

"You're not bad yourself, Dip." She grinned back.

Before he knew what was happening, she was pressed up against him, body rubbing against his as she danced. Soon, he felt himself slip away as instinct took over and he held her. Moments later, her arms were wrapped around his shoulders and their lips were pressed together, tongues exploring each other's mouths.

Any sense of how wrong this was was long gone. He wanted her, and he could feel she wanted him. He ignored the wolf-whistle of somebody in the crowd beside them, they didn't know what the fuck they were looking at.

Holding each other tightly, kissing and in a tangle of limbs they fought their way free of the crowd. Not once breaking eye contact, not once giving a thought to all the people around them. They didn't know where they were going, but they'd know when they got there.

…

"Heck of a story kiddo." Stan nodded, thoughtfully. He down the remnants of the bottle.

Dipper clutched his head, why was it spinning so much? Why couldn't he think? Pinning down a thought right now was like trying to catch a fish with your hands.

"A story?" He snapped, half laughing. "I'm in love with my sister you bastard."

"Sounds like she's in love with you, too. Tricky, tricky."

A spike of anger shot through him and he swung a fist at Stan, who didn't even move as Dipper missed by a mile.

"She loves me, she loves me and I don't even deserve it. I broke her damn heart for fucks sake. She's my sister and I broke her heart!" He roared.

"What do you want, Dippy?"

"I want Mabel to be happy!" Dipper yelled. "I want her to be happy."

"No, that's the brother speakin' Dippy. What do _you_ want?"

His mind raced, why the fuck couldn't he just fucking think for a minute?"

"I want things to go back to how they were…"

"Do you?" Stan asked.

…

They crashed into one another, hands all over each other. They hadn't gone back to their tents, where the others might be. Instead settling on a secluded spot just outside the site, behind a row of bushes in a small copse of trees.

_Classy_, Dipper mused briefly, before his thoughts were overwhelmed by his sister again.

He felt her undoing his belt as he lifted her top over his head. Her skin shone with sweat in the glow of the moon. He found himself cupping one of her breasts through her bra, a feeling like an electric shock ran through him. Her hand found its way to his cheek as they locked lips again. He didn't care anymore, were they really going to do this? They were really going to do this.

Mabel must have noticed a flicker in his eyes as she undid the button on her shorts, letting them fall and leaving her, like him, in his underwear as they knelt down together, tangled in one another still and lost themselves in one another on the ground.

"Dipper!" She gasped, as he ran a hand up her thigh.

They were going to do this, he thought. Were they really going to do this?

Through the drunken haze, the voice of reason began battering at the door of Dipper's mind. He blinked and stopped, looking up at Mabel as she straddled him. She was looking down at him, eyes full of yearning, her hair cascading over her shoulders and around his face.

"…wait." He managed.

She stopped.

The voice of reason gave a little cheer.

"…wait, wait, this is too…it's too fast, Mabel." He grunted, trying to sit up.

He felt guilty at the look of hurt that flickered across her face. He succeeded in untangling himself and sitting up so they were face to face.

"What is it?" She mumbled.

"We…we can't just…" He didn't know how to make her understand when even he still didn't understand. "We need to talk about…this." He gestured to the two of them.

She bit her lip and looked down. Neither said anything for at least a minute, brains trying to play catch-up with their bodies.

"I…I think I love you, bro."

Though it was still surprising to hear her say it, it wasn't exactly entirely an unexpected revelation anymore.

"I think I…I think I love you too." He replied, softly.

They looked at each other, the weight of what they were saying, what they'd almost just done finally sinking in.

"What now?" Mabel asked, laying a hand on his.

He took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"We talk."

…

Dipper's heard pounded. His thoughts twisted and turned and crashed into one another. He buried his head in his hands. He loved her, he loved her more than anything and he wanted her. He wanted his sister. He wanted Mabel. What had he done, what the fuck had he done.

"No I don't want to fucking go back. What the fuck have I been doing, what the fuck have I done? This was our chance, our chance to get away together and I completely fucked it up!" He was shouting but he didn't care, there was nobody around. "I don't want to apologise and have us go back to…to that nothing, between siblings and…and being more. I kept us like that, me. I did. I was afraid and I kept us in that nothing in between."

He was on his feet suddenly, yelling at the top of his voice now and crying.

"I love her damn it, I want us to go on together and I want…I want…I want to love her, I want her to love me!"

He turned sharply toward Stan. Stan remained seated, calm. The old man's lip curled in the barest hint of a smile.

Dipper felt his knees shake, then his legs gave out and he crashed to the floor. He was so fucking tired. His eyes were so heavy, he could no longer keep them open. Where was Stan? Why wasn't he helping? He didn't give a damn anymore.

His last thoughts were of Mabel smiling, before he felt himself drown in blackness.


	13. Closure

A/N: Wow, these updates weren't far apart at all were they? Now for another month break.

...

"-he alright?"

"-worry miss…be fine…night's rest."

Dipper heard voices cut through the heavy fog clouding his mind.

"Does…often drink underage…"

"…can't understand why…"

He knew that voice, but he the twisted fragments of his brain couldn't put together why she was worried about him, or why she was crying.

"-his name, ma'am?" A deeper voice asked.

He fumbled a hand about, unable to feel the grass beneath him anymore. Where was he? Home? How? He tried to move his head, and instantly regretted it as a wave of nausea crashed into him coupled with a blinding dull ache in his forehead, he groaned involuntarily.

"Dipper?" Somebody grabbed his flailing hand between their own, their skin was soft, their touch soothing.

Mabel, he winced. He couldn't deal with this now, couldn't she just hate him a bit longer?

"I think that'll…all then, ma'am." The deeper voice spoke again. He risked opening one eye slightly, only to be met with more pain. He saw enough of a uniform to realise it was a cop though. There was also a paramedic packing a bag and leaving with the policeman in tow.

What the hell had he done, couldn't he get anything right lately?

"Let him get some rest, I don't doubt you had a hand in this somewhere."

He frowned, somewhere lost in the flurry of his confused mind, he recognised that as the voice of that woman who hadn't started charging them rent yet, that one who they'd lived with for years, what do you call her? Oh yeah, mom.

"You're right, for once." Mabel replied, rubbing the top of his hand softly.

He wanted to see her, but he wasn't sure he could take another bout of the pain that came with sight right now.

"I wish you'd just leave him alone, you've never been anything but trouble." His mom snapped.

Fuck it, he thought.

Dipper forced his eyes open. Mabel and his mom noticed, leaning closer, worry clear on their faces.

"Fuck off mom." He managed, voice scratching from a dry and hoarse throat.

Mabel's lips curled in the ghost of a smile and his mother frowned and stalked from the room. He grinned weakly as sleep took him again.

…

This was it, Mabel thought. The last day.

Well, it wasn't the last day, but it was the day of the final prom so it felt very…final.

She looked herself up and down in the full-length mirror in her room, twirling slightly. Mabel had never worn anything like this before, but there was a first time for everything. The dress she'd finally bit the bullet and bought was a long, sleek and black, reaching down to her ankles. It hugged every curve and contour on her body, not unattractively. It left her shoulders bare, instead having two bands that ran around her upper-arms. It was fairly plain, but elegant, she liked to think.

Mostly she knew she was just trying to distract herself. It was a load off her mind to know Dipper was alright, but still…

She'd been so scared at first, when he'd been brought home like that, half-ranting and muttering to himself about Grunkle Stan of all people, abandoning him and drinking all his alcohol. He'd also been saying…other things.

She began to undress again, changing into a more casual pair of three-quarter length jeans and a sleeveless top. She threw on a large blue sweater that hung off one shoulder, for good measure.

Mabel wasn't sure what to do anymore, Dipper had done all this because of her. He'd rambled and cried out about being sorry and wanting to fix things, wanting to be together and…other things. She blushed at the thought.

It was only a blessing he'd never thought to say who he was talking about in his delirium. But she knew.

Times like this she really realised just how much they were made for each other. The deluded, brainless, broken pair of them.

It made her feel complete in ways she couldn't even begin to explain, knowing that somewhere, Dipper did want to be with her, to move forward together. She just wished he hadn't had to risk his life to come to terms with it. And there was of course the chance that once he woke up and got thinking again he'd try to bury his feelings again.

She sighed, she wanted nothing more than to stay home with him today, they needed to talk, but she had to meet up with the band to get in some final rehearsing for tonight. Mabel wondered whether her brother would even show up at all, after what he'd been through.

Well, she thought, as she packed up and dress and slung her guitar bag over her shoulder, she could hope.

…

Dipper groaned, clutching his forehead as he tried to sit up. He felt hands on his shoulders, steadying him and helping him sit with his back against the headboard of the bed.

"Mabel?" He grunted, eyes coming into focus.

"No, dear." His mother shook her head.

"Oh, you." Dipper batted her hands away, regarding the woman dispassionately.

"Children didn't used to speak to their mothers that way."

"Show me a mother." He cut back.

She flinched slightly, but ignored him.

"I was worried about you."

"I'm touched."

"What were you doing, drinking underage, and out there alone?"

"Well it's not like there was ever a maternal figure in my life who spends three-quarters of her time drunk is there?" He saw her arm twitch, as if to slap him. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Go on, do it."

She recoiled, stiffly.

"I have never hit my son." His mom insisted.

"You've hit your daughter." He replied, bluntly. "Dad didn't even do that, not that he stuck around long enough to bother."

His mother looked away, unblinking.

"Must you talk that way about your family?"

"I cried for whatever kind of "family" we were a long time ago, mom. Mabel is all the family I have left." He looked down.

"Do you hate me?"

He glanced up at her, she was watching him closely. He shut his eyes.

"No." He answered, eventually. "Whatever else you are, you're still my mom."

Dipper pulled the bedcovers aside. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he had to get ready for tonight.

"Then why-" She pressed, but he cut her off.

"I don't hate you, but I can't forgive you for choosing between us. I can't forgive you for picking me over her." He pulled open his closet, digging through it for a decent shirt. "I don't know why, or how, I don't care anymore either."

"I didn't leave."

"No, that would have meant being unable to bully my sister." He found a reasonably formal looking white shirt and began buttoning it up. "We're leaving. Both of us, for college, once we work things out."

He looked at her briefly, gauging her reaction, but there wasn't any.

"Together?" His mom asked, voice neutral.

He paused, thinking over the last week, and the almighty mess he'd made of things. He thought of the years they'd known one another. The time they'd spent as brother and sister and…more. He thought of what he'd put himself through last night, what he'd accepted. And he thought of what he hoped for the future, _their _future.

"I hope so." He replied, simply.

"Shouldn't you really be catching up on your sleep?" She asked, in an uncharacteristic tone of motherly concern.

"Probably. Going anyway." Dipper fumbled with a tie, trying to make himself vaguely presentable. He ran a hand through his messy hair, deciding it'd do because it was always messy anyway.

"At least eat something."

He went to object, but his stomach growled in protest. Admittedly, he hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon and it must have been early evening now, if the orange glow through the blinds on his window were any judge.

"I'll eat something on the way." He ducked back to his bedside table and grabbed his phone, fully expecting the dozen or so missed calls from Nick, and one text from Dave consisting of a few curses, congratulations on becoming a public drunkard and a small picture of a thumbs up. "Nice." He mumbled.

"Are you and Mabel still fighting?"

"…I hope not." He replied, momentarily unsure.

"You said a lot, when they brought you in." She said, suddenly changing tack.

He paused. Again, there wasn't anything…off in her tone.

"I did?"

"You were talking about somebody, somebody you cared a great deal about. Who?" His mother wasn't demanding an answer, the question was again, totally neutral.

"There's a girl at school." He answered, not entirely lying.

"Do I know her?"

"…not really, no." He answered, glancing back at her.

"She sounds like something special, maybe you should fix things up with her."

"I'm going to try." He replied, slowly. They held each other's gaze during the careful exchange, neither blinking or looking away.

Dipper finally broke the stalemate, reaching for a smart-ish black jacket and slinging it over his shoulder.

"I've got to go, mom."

"I know, dear." She replied, totally calm.

He stopped at the door, feeling he should say something, but decided against it. As he shut the door gently behind him, he heard the quiet sobs begin. As Dipper descended the stairs, he wondered if he'd be a better person if he went back to console her but as he reached the front door, all he could think was that it didn't really matter anyway. Nobody was perfect.


	14. Collision

A/N: Dipper vs. The World, round two!

...

Dipper arrived at the high school, stopping by the fence that ran around the sports fields. He was beginning to wonder if there wasn't something in what his mom had said, as his head started spinning again. He wasn't sure driving here had been the best idea either, there had been a close call with that tree, and that mailbox had come out of nowhere.

He was here, and alive though, so bonus points. His conscience had required him to eat though, so he'd stopped at a fast food joint on the way and literally downed a portion of fries as if it'd been a pint. Dipper sorta wished somebody had been there to see him play it cool when the squad car drove by, that was pretty ninja.

The prom had been set up in the fields outside, to make use of the warm summer nights. Tents and various stalls and tables were set up and scattered around. Conflicting strains of music could be heard all over the place. Mabel and _Pine-ing_ would be playing by now somewhere. He loosened the tie irritably again, wondering why he'd ever bothered to bring the damn thing and rolled up the sleeves on the white shirt he'd hurried out in and made for the entrance.

Dipper was going to prom.

…

Mabel stifled a squeak as she nearly tripped on her own feet again. What had she been thinking?

"_I can't wait for tomorrow  
I can not bring back yesterday" _Blake sang.

It was a lovely dress, it was a beautiful dress. She rarely wore things like this and everybody had said she looked nice too, which was…nice. Admittedly, she had also braided her hair with what to the untrained observer appeared only to be a entirely random mish-mash of hairclips, braids and assorted sparkly bits and pieces, but it was actually rigorously methodical. And her friends had covered her face with stickers, and then covered her arms and neck with more stickers. Essentially, any bare skin was fair game.

"_Even if the shadows remain  
Baby, I know that you and I will meet again some day"_

They'd done it as a kind reminder to what she used to do herself, everyday. She'd thought nothing of decorating herself before going to school back then. So when she'd turned up tonight and the band had pulled out a few sticker books and basically attacked her with them, she hadn't really bothered arguing.

"_I know there's something you wanna say"_

The dress though, lovely, yes. But she liked to _move_ when she was on stage, and as she readied herself, giving a few experimental plucks on her guitar, she found she was increasingly worried she was going to wind up diving off stage or something. It wasn't a dress designed for…motion.

Speaking of being unable to move, she wondered if-

"_You close the door at night  
You make me go away…"_

_Shit_, she thought, _play, play!_

Her fingers went to work, almost of their own accord.

"_I try to make you remember... belief is all you need  
And show you I'll be around forever_"

It was a good song. She liked it. She'd always thought it was a bit weak vocally, though that wasn't Blake's fault, they were only performing a cover. But it had one of her favourite guitar solos in it. Tonight though, the lyrics seemed almost…bizarrely astute.

Would Dipper show up? He hadn't looked well and she didn't want him to hurt himself any more, but a part of her hoped her brother would turn up somehow, like some last minute hero in the final act of a movie.

_…and now you're hoping for a Hollywood ending_, she thought, wryly. Down that path lies only insanity.

But they needed to talk.

"_I try to make you remember me  
I try to open your mind…"_

She snapped from her thoughts as Blake's line trailed into silence, he glanced over at her insistently.

_Solo_, she panicked, _solo!_

…

Dipper worked his way through the throng, easily hearing Mabel's playing over the buzz of the horde of overdressed students. He found he was more and more nervous the closer he got, he still had no idea what he was going to say. He was sort of counting on the right words or…well…any words at all to just kind of make themselves apparent when he needed them.

Would it be simpler to go back home and go to bed? Yes. His head ached, his legs ached, his everything ached. Why hadn't he even taken a painkiller or something? He really was an idiot.

"Yo, Dip!"

He stopped in his tracks, nearly falling over in the process as Dave appeared beside him, slapping him on the back and almost sending him the rest of the way to the floor.

"Hey." He half-groaned.

"Still sore buddy?"

"…could say that."

Dave was…well…Dave. He hadn't dressed up insofar as everybody else, but he had dressed up as Dave understood dressing up. His hair was straightened over his shoulders, he was wearing all manner of spiky adornments and bangles and belt buckles and what looked a bit like military boots. How had he even got in? He was a walking, talking public health risk. He'd even groomed his beard.

"Don't suppose you'd be fancying a drink, eh?" Dave waggled a hip flask in front of him.

Dipper eyed it warily, then grabbed it and downed a mouthful. Whatever it was he hoped it dulled pain but left you upright.

_Whiskey, _he grimaced as Dave laughed at the expression on his face. Still, a welcome numbing sensation washed over him nonetheless.

"That was foul." He shuddered, as Dave took a swig and concealed the flask in a pocket.

"I suppose you're wanting to find Mabel and apologise, right?"

Dipper glanced at him suspiciously.

"Does _everybody_ know about my personal life now? Is everybody waiting for me to talk to my sister? How do they even know I did anything? How does anybody know at all?!" He yelled to the world at large, drawing the confused looks of a few bystanders.

Dave only shrugged.

"If you didn't do anything, maybe you should start doing something."

Dipper resisted the urge to throw up the contents of his stomach in sudden and violent panic as he reminded himself that Dave really had no idea what he was actually suggesting.

"…uh…yeah…" Dipper cleared his throat, awkwardly. "…well, yes. Anyway."

They'd walked on a ways and come upon the back of the audience for Mabel and the band. He looked up at the stage, trying to pick out the girl wearing a big colourful sweater or shorts and rainbow leggings or…he frowned, then his mouth dropped open a little as he realised…

Mabel was beautiful. The sleek, black dress caressed every curve, hugged every part of her body, her hair bounced and trembled as she moved with the music. She was his sister, but for the second time in his life he could literally not give a fuck. He'd never seen her so…she oozed class but still there was the smile, the way she shut her eyes and poured everything she had into that music, her face and skin were even covered in colourful stickers. She was so un-Mabel, but so quintessentially Mabel, still.

"…man." Dave echoed his own more…controversial thoughts.

"Hey guys." Nick appeared. Dave fist-bumped their friend and Dipper managed a smile and a greeting, doing his best to bring brother-Dipper back out. And remembering to close his gaping mouth. "She's really something, huh?"

"Sure, I guess." I shrugged.

A look of concern came over Nicks face.

"You sure you should be out, Dipper? I heard what happened, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"Jenny was looking for you, but I told her I didn't think you were coming and we…uh…" Nick trailed off awkwardly.

Dave sniggered.

"You and Jenny? Jenny and you?" Dipper asked, neutrally.

"…well we kinda hit it off I guess. Been having a good time. Not sure what to do about Mabel though, I don't want to hurt her feelings and I can't just ditch Jenny now."

Nick wasn't a bad person, Dipper reminded himself. He wasn't malicious, he was just…occasionally a bit flaky. It's funny how years apart make you forget things like that.

"I'll let her know. Need to talk to her anyway." Dipper replied, still disarmingly calm.

"Making peace?" Nick ventured, sounding unsure whether his friend was annoyed or not.

"Something like tha-"

"How's it going, Pines?"

Dipper swallowed the curse on the tip of his tongue. Was he destined to be interrupted by everybody tonight? He knew who it was before he even turned.

"What's up Chris? Wow, nice duds, your mom helped you look all pretty for the prom tonight didn't she?"

"Well that was uncalled for," He turned seeking approval from the two guys flanking him, and they nodded. "And me here, just to wish you the best."

"Thanks, I hope they let you back into Kindergarten too. I'm sure if they see how well you can finger-paint you'll have no trouble at all."

"I got a football scholarship, Pines. I'm going places. You struggle along with your…whatever it is you do? Math?" He laughed.

"Yeah, numbers are totally unimportant." Dipper tapped his chin in mock thought. "Now how do I work out who won that football game exactly? Least points wins, right?"

"You're a dork. You've always been a dork."

"Dude, he knows you so well." Dave nudged his shoulder, grinning.

"Geeks rule the world, baby." Dipper crossed his arms. "Anyway, I'd love to waste my time here playing with the other monkeys, but there are other things I need to do."

"Like getting drunk in parks overnight? Classy, Pines."

"We all have bad days."

"Word is you and your sister've fallen out too."

"I do wonder where that word has come from exactly." Dipper shot Nick and Dave a glance, while they shrugged innocently.

"Never thought Mabel could pull off sexy, but she's done it tonight. I was thinkin' of keeping her company, now that friend of your has ditched her too."

Dipper knew Chris was trying to goad him. He knew this.

"I'd sooner leave her in a room with a crocodile."

"I don't bite, Dipper." Chris's friends laughed.

He knew he was being goaded, he knew this. He was aware of that fact, as he clenched his fist.

"She doesn't have time for dead-enders." Nick piped up.

"She has time for Dipper here, doesn't she? Or at least, she used to." Chris grinned.

Dipper was being goaded. That he was being goaded was a fact he was well aware of.

"Leave it fucknut." Dave chimed in. "C'mon Dip." He tried to pull Dipper away, but he shook off his friends hand.

"Alright asshole." Dipper grinned.

"I heard there was trouble in paradise, sister fed up with you too?" The jock smirked.

_Dipper vs. Mom, 1 – Nil._

So he was being goaded, okay, Dipper considered himself goaded.

"Fuck you, man."

He swung his fist into Chris's jaw with a sickening crack.

_Dipper vs. Chris…?_


	15. Kiss And Make Up

A/N: Another delay folks, for which I apologise, but I hope this makes up for it. I don't think I was ever going to please everybody, but I hope the climax at least satisfies, in the context of the story I've tried to tell. All that remains is to wind the tale down, and give our protagonists a bit of an ending. Enjoy, and as always, leave a thought or two.

...

"I had him."

"Sure you did, Dip."

"Went down like a bi-" Dipper craned his neck up painfully, seeing Mabel's disapproving glare. "…like a house of cards."

"Certainly did." Mabel grunted, pausing to pull his arm tighter around her shoulders as she helped him limp along. "Just a pity about the rest of them. Like last time." She sighed, exasperated.

"I will admit, there was something oddly familiar about tonight's festivities." Dipper nodded, sarcastically. "This time, I totally broke the fucker's nose though."

…

_Fifteen minutes earlier,_

Chris went down, wailing like a bitch. Dipper piled into him, carrying them both to the ground. Quickly, he was buried under Chris' friends. Then Dave roared, in a way that only Dave could, and crashed into everybody else.

Within minutes, the crowd had stopped paying attention to the band and were gradually being pulled into the growing nucleus of the brawl.

Mabel stared wide-eyed from the stage, she and her friends long-since stopped playing. She had a feeling, a gut feeling that at the centre of that heaving mass was…

"Mabel!" Lucy pointed. "Dipper hit Chris."

Fuck.

She ignored Blake's calls as she unslung her guitar, practically hurling it him. He fumbled for it and caught it, silencing his protests.

"Hold on."

She half-turned, seeing Ned hurry after her. With some effort, he managed to help her down from the stage in the unwieldy dress. She let out a sharp breath, frustrated with the thing.

"Fuck it." She sighed, kneeling down quickly.

"What are yooo…ohhh, okay." Ned turned, flustered as she tore the hem of the dress and ripped a slit up the side, stopping midway up her thigh.

She tried not to think about how much the dress had cost.

"C'mon, let's save my idiot brother." She muttered through gritted teeth.

Ned nodded slowly, taking a step away from her as she removed one of her shoes and began clubbing it in her hand.

"Alright," She growled at the nearest brawlers. "Don't be in my way."

A few were smart enough to take their fighting to one side. She saw her brother buried beneath two guys twice his size. She noted Dave take one of them to the ground in a tackle. Chris was over to one side, clutching his nose.

With a practiced arm, she hurled the shoe, taking the guy in the forehead. He staggered back a bit, saw her and swore. She was actually surprised when he came at her. While she struggled to get off her other shoe, Ned appeared, driving his knee into the guys stomach. He caved over, groaning.

"Thanks dude." She grinned.

"No problems Mabes." He flashed her a smile. "'side, now Lucy thinks I'm totally a badass."

"No way, you and Lucy?"

"Way." He nodded, she high-fived him. "I can take it from here."

Ned nodded and jogged back.

She struggled through to find her brother had managed to get up again. Chris had barrelled into him but Dipper managed to remain on his feet, and with a last surge of effort, hauled his opponent upright and slammed his head into Chris's nose. Again.

Chris went down wailing, Dipper wavered slightly, then fell over backwards.

"Oh, bro." She sighed, crouching beside him.

Nick appeared. He had a black eye, she noted, but otherwise seemed fine.

"Is he alright?"

"He'll live." Mabel chuckled.

Together, she and Nick managed to haul him to his feet, leaning him on her, with one arm over her shoulder.

"Cheers dude." She smiled. "You better go find Jenny, hope that doesn't ruin your night." She nodded at his eye.

"Oh…um…yeah. Uh..Mabel, I'm sorry, I-"

"It's cool." She replied, genuinely meaning it. "I'd better get him home anyway. Enjoy the rest of your night. You too Dave!" She called.

Dave shouted a farewell from somewhere in the midst of the crowd.

"Yeah, thanks." He smiled, still looking guilty. "Hope he knows how lucky he is." He gestured to Dipper.

"'course I do." Dipper groaned. "Later man." He managed a half-wave as the turned and began to limp away.

…

_Fifteen minutes later,_

"This time, I totally broke the fucker's nose though." Dipper chuckled, dryly.

"You might've given yourself concussion." She chided, suddenly serious. "You might've really gotten hurt. Wasn't the other night enough?"

Dipper looked down, stomach writhing in guilt.

"I'm sorry."

She waited, expectantly.

"What?" He murmured.

"No "buts"?"

"No," He retorted. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for-" He groaned.

They were nearly out of the college grounds, in sight of the car park. Dipper suddenly spied the old metal staircase that served as the fire escape for a number of the classrooms. He also recalled, through the occasional skipped class, that it led to the roof of the main building.

"Mabel," He said quietly. "Let's go up there."

"What? Why?"

"I know I've already ruined everybody else's night, no reason to totally ruin yours. They haven't done the fireworks yet, we'd have a pretty good view up there."

"I don't know, you've had it rough lately and-"

"I'm fine. Mabel, c'mon, please?"

She frowned, then nodded slowly. Together, they managed to hobble and limp their way up, he dizzy with pain, she stubbing her bare feet on every stone and loose brick along the way. Eventually, they found a patch behind an old service shed on the flat roof of the building and settled back against it, looking out over the college fields.

The fight had wound down, at least.

He looked across at his sister, recalling how she'd looked on stage. Now her hair was somewhat bedraggled, strands had come loose and were plastered across her face with sweat, she'd torn her dress, her shoes were gone and…well…she was still covered with stickers and her hair was only slightly more chaotically braided with bits and bobs.

Perhaps the shine was gone, but she was no less beautiful now than she was then.

She turned to face him, silently. Her eyes searched his.

"I'm sorry Mabel." He said, finally. "For everything."

He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for all that's happened to us, I'm sorry for the bits that are my fault, and the bits that aren't. I'm sorry I failed you as a brother. I'm sorry I…" He swallowed. "…I'm sorry I fell in love with you."

He saw her frown, but he had to explain. He had to make her understand, as he'd come to understand.

"You…" She began, trailing off. There was hurt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I fell in love with you Mabel, but I'm not sorry that I do." He swallowed again, his mouth felt so dry. "I love you."

Mabel tried to process what he was saying. He was usually so passive, and for him to suddenly throw all this her way was…

Well, she loved him. She knew that, and she was sure he loved her, but he'd never…never really…well, he'd just said it. Twice. She frowned a little, despite his words.

"You're not…I mean, I want…I want you to mean it. I don't want you to feel that you have to…to…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry I put you through…this. I'm sorry for how I treated you, I was scared. You were right. I was…I was terrified, I have no idea what the future holds for…for us and…and it scared me." He looked out over the fields and the tents. "I forgot that you were feeling exactly the same thing."

"So what changed?" She asked. "You still don't know what will happen to us, nor do I."

"No. I don't." He agreed. "But I know now that, whatever happens, whatever comes next, I can't imagine doing it without you." He flashed her a dumb smile. "I couldn't even go the week without you, sis. I ended up in a park getting drunk about halfway in."

"You have a point, you really do suck at life without me." She grinned. "Look who had to pull your ass out again tonight."

"Alright, alright." He sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "There can be only one." He air-quoted.

"Damn straight." She punched him in the arm.

They fell quiet for a time, and she scooted closer to him, allowing him to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"I…looked at a few more colleges earlier, before I rushed out this evening."

"Yeah?"

"For both of us." He added, hurriedly.

"I believe you."

"I mean, we can go over them later, of course. But there's one I think looks pretty great in New York. For your art, or music, or whichever you decided I mean."

"Mmhmm." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Or there's other places," He rambled on. "Like-"

"Be quiet." She pressed a finger to his lips. "I love you, you idiot."

Below, the prom-goers started to filter toward the centre of the field, where a large space had been cleared.

"Looks like they're setting up." Dipper leaned forward, peering closer.

"Fascinating." Mabel said, in a tone that clearly indicated her mind was elsewhere as she sat forward to.

He turned, feeling her eyes boring into the back of his head.

"Mabel, what…uh…"

She was gazing at him intently. He couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. His heart was pounding in his chest, he wondered if hers was too. Tentatively, he reached out, resting a hand on her cheek. She placed her hand on his, shutting her eyes and sighing as he caressed it softly.

Before he knew it, he and she leaned forward and pressed their lips together. His first thought was how he'd missed this, his second thought was that it felt different, his third was abandoned when they kissed again, harder this time. Her tongue found its way into his mouth.

Somewhere within, the voice was still there, this was his sister.

Well, fuck it, he thought. The world was what it was, they were what the world had made them.

"Dipper." She breathed. "Are you…"

"Yeah." His hand ran over her shoulder, and stopped there. "You…are you…sure…"

"Yeah." Her eyes met his.

"No going back?" His hand lingered on her shoulder, he hooked his finger in the band of the dress.

"No." Her hand cupped his chin, pulling him in for another kiss. Her other began undoing the buttons on his shirt.

He slipped the dress from her shoulders, leaving her torso bare but for her black bra. They struggled to their knees, fumbling clumsily with their outer clothes. She managed to shrug the rest of the dress off, leaving her in just her underwear, while he managed to unbuckle his belt and struggle out of his trousers.

It was sinking in, as he took in her bare skin, and ran a hand over the smooth skin of her hip, that they were really going to do this. Were they really going to do this.

Mabel made a sighing sort of moan as they broke off a kiss and his hand caressed her ass. He kissed her again.

They were going to do this.

"Dipper…" She moaned again, as they rolled to the floor again, tangled in one another.

Behind them, the fireworks started, but Dipper and Mabel were making their own.


	16. On Our Way

...

Dipper slung the last of his bags into the back of the car. He strolled round and leant on the side, facing the open door of their house.

It was a clear, cool morning. Open blue skies and a slight orange tint to everything as the sun began its slow crawl up and over the horizon. There was a slight chill in the air, signalling the true end of summer and the slow arrival of winter.

The last two months or so had been a blast. Graduation long done, picking colleges, making the most of time together with old friends…

He and Mabel had even driven up to stay with Stan and visit Wendy for about a week. It had been fun.

Last night they'd all got together, his friends, Mabel's friends, and got truly, phenomenally drunk. One last hurrah, one last goodbye. He was still nursing the hangover now, though the morning air was doing a good job of numbing the aches.

And then he and Mabel had staggered home at about four in the morning and had sex. And that was about, he checked his watch, two hours ago. Yeah.

They, well, he had long since packed all his stuff for moving to New York. He thought Mabel had too, but there was always something else, a dozen or so "one last thing"s. She'd spent the last twenty minutes zipping in and out with odds and sods, things she'd forgotten or had suddenly realised were important. She literally exuded excitement.

He was excited too though. They were finally going. Just the two of them, college in New York. It was happening. The next few years of their lives at least were roughly set in stone. It didn't matter about the details, or the problems, or the vagaries, they were together. They would work it out.

Mabel suddenly bustled out, towing another bag. She was wearing light green long-sleeved top and a pair of grey jeans, her hair in its usual style, pulled back by a blue hairband.

"One more thing!" She giggled, seeing the deadpan expression on his face as she hurled it in the back. On her way back she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before jogging back into the house.

He noticed their mom had come out, dressed in a robe, to watch as they finished getting ready to go. Probably woken by his sister tearing the house apart. Not for the first time, he wondered if she suspected their…well, if she'd noticed how close they'd been since school ended.

They'd been careful, he'd made sure they had. But they all lived in the same house, and the two of them already spent more time than would be considered…usual together, and they were certainly more sort of affectionate than they used to be, as little displays like just then proved.

The woman had never said anything, though. And yet, he was sure she must have at least considered it, Mabel wore her heart on her sleeve, and he was sure he'd slipped up here and there.

They held each other's gaze, saying nothing. He ran a hand through his hair, idly.

His sister cannoned out again, lugging another bag. He had no idea she owned so much. Her room had never seemed to have enough in it to fill all her bags.

"Done." She chirped, slamming the boot closed.

"Finally." He rolled his eyes, grinning as she pouted.

"Can't leave anything bro, it's not like it's a five-minute drive back is it?"

He smiled at the barely constrained excitement in her tone and tossed her the keys to the car. She looked at him puzzled.

"I'll be a second."

She looked past him to mom and nodded slightly, climbing into the passenger seat. He turned and strolled slowly toward the woman who'd done her best not to raise them. Truthfully, he wasn't even angry anymore, he'd accepted he knew nothing about this woman and that was that. He still felt the need to…he wasn't sure what.

"You're both off then?" She asked, as he stopped a few feet away from her.

"Yeah."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped.

"Take care of each other." His mom said, eventually.

"We always have." Dipper replied.

"I know."

Their eyes met. Neither said anything, or asked the other to explain.

"Bye mom."

"Goodbye, dear. Tell your sister…" She frowned. "…it doesn't matter." She shook her head.

Dipper turned and walked back to the car, sliding into the driver's seat. Mabel was looking at him worriedly, but he shrugged, hitting the ignition.

"I'm fine." He said, eventually, grabbing the gearstick, yet still he hesitated.

Mabel placed her hand atop his. His eyes met hers.

"We could always just run. Leave. The hell with everybody. Go somewhere nobody knows our names, live how we want." She smiled weakly.

"That never even works in the movies." He chuckled.

Mabel looked back at the house. He glanced past her, seeing mom still stood by the door, but she looked away once she realised his sister was looking at her. What a bitch, he mused.

"What's wr-ommph?" He mumbled as Mabel suddenly turned and pressed her lips to his.

She pulled away, face flushed and beaming at him and in that instant, he saw her as she'd always been. The girl he'd known all his life was smiling back at him and all he could do was return it.

"It'll be hard." She said, squeezing his hand. "But I love you. You're worth it, to me. Am I n-"

"Without a doubt." He replied quickly, still in a daze.

Mabel grinned, then threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her back too.

"Love you bro."

"Love you too, Mabes."

They buckled in and Dipper started the car. Within seconds Mabel had retrieved one of the myriad CD's she'd packed for the trip. Moments later, he was listening to the bizarre warblings of Rusted Roots.

"I knew it. I fucking knew it." He shook his head, disparagingly. "When we all got drunk and watched Ice Age the other night…"

"Oh come _on_ Dipper, it's the travelling montage music!"

"It's cheesy as hell."

She was already tapping her feet along and drumming on the dashboard. She was grinning at him expectantly, mouthing "_On my way, on my way" _over and over. He sighed, taking up the beat and drumming his hands on the wheel. Mabel squealed.

"_Well, I would like to hold my little hand  
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will_" Mabel sang.

"_I would like to hold my little hand  
And we will run, we will, we will crawl_" He continued. Mabel's smile grew wider.

It was looking to be a long way to New York, but Dipper didn't mind. Who knew what was coming their way? He certainly didn't. But they were together, and they would deal with whatever needed dealing with, together.

"_Send me on my way,  
Send me on my way,  
Send me on my way,  
Send me on my way…_ "

...

A/N: And there we have it folks, done and done! I really hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Truth told, I did consider ending it with the two making love at the prom, felt like it was a pretty defining moment in their relationship.

Buuuuut...I'm a sucker for a fuzzy ending. I wouldn't say stock-happy exactly, but hopeful. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'd appreciate any last thoughts you might have on the story as a whole. First one I've actually wrapped up. Thanks!


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